Man, 33, admits selling substance online to assist with suicides

A man has pleaded guilty to selling a substance online to assist with the suicide of others.

Miles Cross, 33, admitted four counts of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another.

Cross provided chemicals to Shubhreet Singh on 22 August last year, Wrexham Magistrates' Court heard during an October hearing.

Ms Singh, 26, died in West Yorkshire last year.

The three other counts relate to three victims who are alive and cannot be named due to reporting restrictions.

The incidents are said to have happened in August and September 2024.

Police are also investigating a second death in connection with the packages Cross sold online.

Cross had set up a business selling the chemical via an internet discussion forum and interacted with others on the forum under a pseudonym.

He joined the site in July 2024 and posted a QR code, which allowed people to order the chemical directly from him and pay via his bank account.

Cross received payments of £100 from four people and sent them the chemical through the post.

Cross, from Wrexham, was arrested in January following a police investigation into sales via the forum to assist with suicide. Officers found the chemical and other paraphernalia at his address.

His devices were seized, which linked Cross to the forum, social media profiles and the bank account.

"Miles Cross preyed on four people in a distressed state and knowingly provided a substance intended to end their lives," Alison Storey, specialist prosecutor with the CPS Special Crime Division, said.

"His actions were purely for financial gain, and he made the process of ordering the chemical online easy and accessible."

She said the case was a "stark reminder of the dangers posed by those who aim to exploit vulnerable individuals online", adding that the CPS hopes that Cross pleading guilty brings "some measure of justice" to the victims and their families.

North Wales Police's Detective Superintendent Chris Bell said: "Cross took advantage and exploited his victims in their most desperate moments, profiting off their vulnerability and mental illnesses.

"I hope today's admission provides the victims and their families with some peace of mind and relief that they are now spared the ordeal of a trial. My thoughts, and those of the whole investigation team, remain with them today."

Read more from Sky News:
Calls for reconstructive surgery for FGM on the NHS
Number of Britons leaving the UK higher than thought

He added: "This has been a highly complex and sensitive investigation over the past 10 months, and I want to acknowledge the courage of the witnesses who played an integral part in the investigation during such difficult circumstances."

Cross will be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on 7 January.

If you've been affected by this story and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 anytime day or night. You can also email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find support online.

(c) Sky News 2025: Man, 33, admits selling substance online to assist with suicides