A former soldier who ran an online business selling a lethal poison for £100 per package, which two people used to end their lives, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The Deadly Online Business
Miles Cross, aged 33, from Wrexham in North Wales, systematically set up a venture to profit from the despair of vulnerable individuals he targeted in an online forum. In June 2024, he established a new bank account, email, and phone number specifically for this purpose. Using the alias 'hiddenpain', he posted in July 2024 about finally sourcing the industrial substance, complaining about the UK being a "f***** nanny state".
Over five weeks from August to September 2024, he used Royal Mail to dispatch packages to four people across the UK who had each paid him £100. The court heard he contacted his victims via chat rooms, using a fake name.
Tragic Consequences and Police Investigation
The prosecution, led by Nick Johnson KC at Mold Crown Court, detailed the harrowing outcomes. On August 22, Cross posted the substance to 26-year-old Shubhreet Singh from Leeds. It was delivered two days later, and she was found dead in an Airbnb on September 3 after ingesting it. Police found screenshots of their conversations and a payment confirmation on her phone.
Another parcel, sent on August 28, was intercepted by the worried parents of a 20-year-old man struggling with his mental health. Tragically, the man's 53-year-old father, who was also suffering from depression, later used the substance to take his own life. The two other recipients did not consume the poison and survived.
Cross was arrested at his flat in Wrexham on 13 January 2025. Officers found two tubs of the poison in a suitcase, with Cross's DNA on one lid, and an iPad containing photos and videos of the substance dated August 2024.
Victim Impact and Legal Landmark
In powerful statements, the families described their devastation. The widow of the 53-year-old man said she suffered "total devastation and ongoing trauma", insomnia, and nightmares. Her sons blamed themselves for their father's death. Another woman who bought the substance said Cross had "preyed" on her at her most vulnerable and made it "easy" to obtain the means to end her life.
Cross, who served six years in the Army, had previous convictions for drug possession and battery. His defence claimed mental health problems stemming from childhood trauma and his tour of Afghanistan, stating he had previously attempted suicide. However, the prosecution argued his actions were financially motivated.
In November, Cross pleaded guilty to four counts of encouraging or assisting suicide. This case is believed to be the first UK prosecution of its kind for selling poison to a stranger to aid suicide. Alison Storey of the CPS said Cross's motive was "to make money out of other people's misery".
North Wales Police worked with Ofcom, using the new Online Safety Act to block UK access to the US-based forum Cross used. The case mirrors that of Canadian chef Kenneth Law, who is awaiting trial on similar charges and is alleged to have sent packages to over 270 people in the UK.
