A man who profited from the despair of vulnerable individuals by selling them a chemical to end their lives has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The Online Poison Trade
Miles Cross, aged 33, operated a sinister online business, using an internet discussion forum to advertise and sell a poisonous substance. The court at Mold Crown Court heard that he charged £100 per transaction. Cross interacted under a false name and posted a QR code in July 2024, which directed potential buyers to a payment method linked directly to his bank account.
He received payments from four individuals and sent the chemical to them through the postal system. Two of those people, including Shubhreet Singh, subsequently died. Police investigators managed to trace three other individuals who had purchased the substance but survived.
Investigation and Guilty Plea
Officers from North Wales Police searched Cross's address in January 2025. During the raid, they discovered quantities of the chemical and other related paraphernalia. A forensic examination of his seized electronic devices conclusively linked him to the forum profiles, social media accounts, and the bank account used for the transactions.
Cross had previously entered a guilty plea to four counts of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another by supplying a chemical compound.
Condemnation from Authorities
Detective Superintendent Chris Bell of North Wales Police stated that Cross had callously exploited his victims. "Cross took advantage and exploited his victims in their most desperate moments, profiting off their vulnerability and mental illnesses," he said.
Alison Storey, a specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division, echoed this condemnation. "Miles Cross preyed on four people in a distressed state and knowingly provided a substance intended to end their lives. His actions were purely for financial gain, and he made the process of ordering the chemical online easy and accessible," she explained. She added that the case serves as a stark warning about the dangers vulnerable people face from online predators.
If you need emotional support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org. For those concerned about a young person, PAPYRUS's HOPELINE247 is available on 0800 068 4141, by texting 88247, or emailing pat@papyrus-uk.org.
