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Coroner to examine Met’s response to poison warning before student’s death
A coroner will question the Metropolitan Police about what it did after receiving a warning that a woman’s daughter had died after taking a poison sold by Canadian Kenneth Law. The warning came weeks before 22-year-old student Thomas Parfett died in October 2021, raising concerns about whether action could have prevented him from obtaining the substance.
The inquest heard that a National Crime Agency investigation has identified 286 UK recipients of Law’s packages, linked to an estimated 79 deaths. The coroner said there was evidence Parfett bought the substance from abroad without checks, and that a suicide discussion forum may have influenced his decision; Ofcom has blocked the site for UK users, though some existing users and people using VPNs can still access it. Law has pleaded guilty in Canada to assisting 14 suicides there.
In short
- Coroner to ask what the Met knew about the poison.
- A warning reached police weeks before Parfett’s death.
- Investigators identified 286 UK recipients of Law’s packages.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The coroner’s inquiry can establish whether police acted promptly and appropriately on a warning that another person had died after taking the substance, and whether earlier steps might have reduced the risk to Parfett. Given the reported scale of distribution and deaths, supporters of close scrutiny would argue that public bodies must account for how they handle credible warnings and whether gaps in information-sharing or enforcement left people exposed.
The case against
A warning alone may not have given police enough evidence, legal authority or practical means to stop an overseas seller or prevent an individual from obtaining the substance, so judging the response with hindsight could be unfair. The inquest should also distinguish what the Met could reasonably have done from the roles of other agencies, online platforms and the circumstances affecting Parfett’s decision.
Explained simply
The Metropolitan Police, often called the Met, is the police force responsible for London. A coroner investigates deaths that may need explanation, including whether the circumstances or actions by authorities should be examined.
Kenneth Law is a Canadian man accused of selling a poison online to people in several countries. Thomas Parfett was a 22-year-old student who died in 2021 after obtaining the substance from abroad; a National Crime Agency investigation has identified hundreds of UK recipients of Law’s packages.
The case raises questions about how warnings about dangerous products are passed between police forces and other agencies, and what steps can be taken to limit access to them. It also involves online forums where people discuss suicide, and the challenge of restricting access to such sites.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Met Police to be quizzed over ‘suicide poison’ prevention after getting warning from grieving mother just weeks before British student’s death”.