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Myles Cross, of Llys Nantgarw, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday (January 7).
The 33-year-old had previously admitted four counts of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another by providing a chemical compound, with the intention of assisting suicide or a suicide attempt.
The court heard that the offences occurred in August 2024 – and involved Cross advertising the sale of a chemical on an internet forum for £100.
Cross set up a Monzo bank account, and ordered 1kg of the chemical from abroad.
By August 2 he’d set up an account with a QR code to direct people to the online sale process for the drugs. He sent the packages from Wrexham via Royal Mail after receiving £100 payments in his Monzo account.
Among those to buy the product was Shubhreet Singh, aged 26. She was found dead at an Airbnb in Leeds on September 3, 2024, and is thought to have died two days earlier having taken the substance.
Prior to Miss Singh’s death, she exchanged messages with Cross which Judge Rhys Rowlands described as “deeply disturbing and upsetting”.
The other victims in the case cannot be named for legal reasons. Two of the packages sent, thankfully, didn’t lead to deaths – with one given to the police and the contents of the other flushed down the toilet. A second death did occur, after Cross sent a package to the home of a man in August 2024.
Parents of the man who ordered the package seized it, having concerns for his mental health and that the product may be harmful. However, the man’s father, who also had mental health issues, took the chemicals. He had confiscated the product from his son, and said he would dispose of it at his place of work.
He was sadly found dead and his death was confirmed as being a result of taking the chemical.
On January 13, 2025, police executed a search warrant at Cross’ home address, where they found the chemicals.
Cross was arrested and interviewed that day.
When asked if he could identify anyone at risk, he said he supplied no such products, and could not identify anyone at risk.
In a victim personal statement, the widow of the father who died after taking the product said his death has caused “total devastation and trauma”.
“I’m not the person I was,” she said. “When I do sleep I have horrific vivid nightmares, I’m anxious in a way that’s hard to explain – imaging what ifs about people I care about.
“When someone knocks on my door, seeing a police car, hearing a helicopter, it reminds of that day, he was my best friend.”
She added: “I don’t want any other family to have to go through this.”
A survivor said in her victim personal statement that her mental health was at an “all time low” when she bought the chemical.
When it arrived at her home, she said: “I couldn’t believe I’d actually received this, and how stupid I was to order it. It was simple. It was almost too easy.
“I put it down the toilet because I didn’t want anyone to find it. I’ve come to understand the person responsible for this was Miles Cross. It makes me think he preyed on vulnerable people like me.”
Duncan Bould, defending Cross, read a statement from the defendant’s partner that he had undergone a mental health “breakdown” in 2024 – which culminated in him taking an overdose in an attempt to take his own life on June 24. This was the days before he set up the accounts relating to the sale of the chemical.
Mr Bould said a pre-sentence report details there may have been issues with his childhood trauma and serving with the army in Afghanistan.
“Fortunately this is a rare, extremely serious case,” judge Rowlands said. “You were selling it (the chemical) for £100. Tragically two individuals died as a direct result of your actions.
“Your own mental health difficulties cannot reduce culpability to any significant degree.
“You were selling it to people who were suffering with their mental health and were vulnerable.
“You were selling to complete strangers. It has to be met with a sentence that offers a degree of deterrence.”
He sentenced Cross, who displayed no emotion in the dock, to 14 years imprisonment.
Outside court, North Wales Police superintendent Chris Bell gave a statement.
He said: “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of Cross’ offending, as he preyed on his victims online and exploited them in their most desperate moments, profiting off their vulnerability and mental wellbeing.
“Instead of assisting them to seek support, he proactively encouraged them to end their lives and provided them with a means to do so, which tragically and needlessly resulted in two deaths.
“I want to acknowledge the courage of each of the survivors who played an integral part in this complex investigation during such difficult circumstances, and the devastating impact it has had on the lives of the family and friends of the two people who tragically lost their lives.
“Working closely with the survivors enabled my investigation team to secure a successful prosecution against Cross, which we believe to be the first of its kind in the UK, involving the online forum he was using.
He added: “If you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is out there. Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to face it alone.”
Anyone affected by the issues raised in this story can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org for more information.
