'It has broken us as a family,' mother of poison seller victim tells hearing

'It has broken us as a family,' mother of poison seller victim tells hearing

The mother of Samuel Whitaker, a British victim of Kenneth Law, has described how her son’s death and the circumstances surrounding it have devastated their family. Tanya Whitaker became emotional in her video statement, presented during the second day of Law’s sentencing hearing in Ontario. She expressed intense grief, stating: “He barely had a chance.” Samuel, a student at the University of Warwick, was discovered collapsed outside his residence after consuming poison sold by Law. Law has admitted to 14 counts of aiding suicide in Canada and is suspected of involvement in nearly 80 deaths in the UK.

Similarly, Debbie Cornish, whose daughter Danielle was also a victim, shared the ongoing pain her family endures years after Danielle’s death. She described the lasting struggle to keep their family together and captured the profound impact Law’s actions have had on many families. Due to a plea agreement with Canadian authorities, Law will not face charges related to the UK deaths, yet impact statements from affected families continue to be heard during the sentencing process. Tanya Whitaker expressed the overwhelming loss, telling the Canadian court, “The enormity of losing a child is catastrophic,” and lamented how Samuel, only 19 years old, was given what she described as “the tools that ended his precious life.”

Tanya also revealed the strain on her husband Paul, saying he is now “a shell of himself” following their son’s tragic death. Debbie Cornish, who referred to Law only by his initials “KL,” shared her sorrow in a written statement, emphasizing the enduring pain and disruption to their family. “Words on paper can’t even begin to describe the painful loss of our amazing daughter,” she wrote. Cornish described life as a constant nightmare and pointed out how Law’s actions have affected numerous families worldwide, including her own.

The court heard further testimonies from other grieving parents, such as Faith George, mother of Faith Ike-Elechi, who mournfully recalled finding her daughter after she had taken the poison. Maurice Dunham, father of Michael Dunham, spoke about his last interactions with his son during a family holiday, revealing feelings of shock and deep guilt following Michael’s death. Other parents, including those of Yeanu Mistry and Gary Cooper, also expressed their anguish, describing the unbearable pain of their losses. On the previous day, Elisabeth Belien, a British survivor who was saved after taking Law’s poison, gave a testimony expressing her feelings of guilt and shame. The sentencing hearing for Kenneth Law is ongoing

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