A man who sold chemicals online to help people take their own lives has been jailed following what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in the UK.
Miles Cross, 33, from Wrexham, admitted four counts of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting suicide and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Cross admitted sending a lethal chemical to four individuals between August and September 2024, all of whom he had met through an online forum. One of the recipients, 29-year-old Shubreet Singh from Leeds, paid £100 for a package and later died. Police recovered messages between Singh and Cross on her phone, as well as a foil bag bearing Cross’s return address.
North Wales Police raided Cross’s home in January 2025 after Thames Valley Police, investigating a separate suicide case, discovered his name during financial enquiries. Officers found quantities of the same chemical he had mailed, along with related paraphernalia.
Sentencing Cross, Judge Rhys Rowlands described the case as “rare and extremely serious,” noting that the substances were sent to vulnerable individuals who had contacted him through a suicide forum. He added: “Tragically, two individuals died as a result of your actions.”
The judge highlighted that it was a “serious aggravating feature” that Cross did not know the recipients personally or understand their vulnerabilities. He praised the thoroughness of the police investigation and said the sentence should serve as a warning to others.
Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC told the court that Cross had advertised the chemicals on a forum discussing suicide and methods of taking one’s own life. Membership of the forum required applicants to provide detailed explanations of their intentions.
Johnson explained that Cross supplied the chemicals for £100 per package, generating a financial benefit. He said Cross had joined the forum initially to research methods for himself, citing “emotional deterioration” that had led to gambling, alcohol misuse, and sedative use.
Cross told probation officers he considered the forum “a bible” and claimed he obtained the chemicals to “help others end their lives.” The prosecution rejected this, stating he had purchased the substances before joining the forum and had also acquired other drugs linked to suicide.
Court documents revealed that Cross posted a message and a photograph of the chemicals on the forum, declaring he “finally had everything” and that things were “on my terms now,” describing it as “the only relief I’ve had in a long time.”
By 2 August 2024, Cross had set up an online account where he directed victims to pay for the chemicals. Police later recovered 100 zip foil bags he had purchased; four were missing. All packages sent carried Cross’s return address, and one foil bag was found at the scene of Singh’s death.
Messages recovered from Singh’s phone showed Cross offering help in sourcing the drug, to which she responded affirmatively. The pair exchanged messages discussing a “last meal” and a two-day timetable for taking the substance. Evidence indicates Singh died on 1 September, with her body discovered two days later. Judge Rowlands described the messages as “deeply disturbing” and said Cross would have known her intention to use the chemicals.
Another victim paid £100 to Cross after becoming suicidal. He sent them a QR code and instructions to obtain the substance. A separate individual bought chemicals but discarded them after feeling “in a better place.” In her victim impact statement, she described the ease of access as alarming and said she panicked before disposing of the substance in a toilet.
Cross was arrested on 13 January 2025. Officers recovered two 1kg tubs of the chemical at his home, one unopened and the other containing around 300g.
Since the sentencing, one person who purchased chemicals from Cross has spoken out to urge vulnerable individuals to seek professional help rather than relying on online forums. They described feeling “vulnerable, overwhelmed and struggling silently” at the time and warned that the substances could have ended their life, while seriously affecting their family.
Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans said the case should serve as a warning to vulnerable people about online predators. “It has been a unique investigation and, I believe, the first prosecution of its kind in the UK involving someone using an online forum to target vulnerable individuals,” he said.
North Wales Police worked with Ofcom to close the forum Cross used, and also collaborated with the National Crime Agency, the NHS, and organisations including the Samaritans to limit access to forums where people could be at risk of harm.
