A 33-year-old man has been jailed for assisting and encouraging the suicide of others.
Miles Cross of Wrexham city, appeared for sentencing at Mold Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, 7 January, having previously admitted four counts of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961.
He was sentenced to 14 years.
Two deaths in the UK were linked to Cross, who was selling a substance to vulnerable people on an online forum.
In October 2024, North Wales Police launched an investigation into Cross after Thames Valley Police notified officers of the suspected suicide of a man in their force area, who had been reported missing weeks earlier.
Financial enquiries carried out by Thames Valley officers identified Cross had received £100 in exchange for a substance, suspected to be linked to the man’s death.
Further investigations by North Wales Police discovered Cross had sold packages to a total of four victims.
He had been engaging with people at their most vulnerable and encouraging them to take their own lives.
One of the victims who he had been in close communication with online sadly took her own life.
It was later confirmed the man who died in the Thames Valley area had also used one of the packages Cross had sent to another victim.
Thankfully, two of the four packages sold were never used.
The online forum used by Cross was the target of Ofcom’s first investigation under the Online Safety Act which began in April 2025.
Through working with the National Crime Agency, who were in liaison with Ofcom, officers shared information from the investigation, which contributed and supported Ofcom’s investigation into the forum.
The US-based site subsequently responded to Ofcom enforcement proceedings by implementing a geo-block to restrict access by people with UK IP addresses.
Ofcom is continuing to progress its investigation as a priority.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Chris Bell 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.
“Safeguarding vulnerable people is a priority for North Wales Police, and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to provide support, prevent harm wherever possible and relentlessly pursue anybody who seeks to assist or encourage anyone to take their own life.
“I want to thank my team who built a comprehensive and compelling case that resulted in Cross admitting all four offences, and a number of key partners to which we are grateful, including the Crown Prosecution Service, The National Crime Agency, colleagues from other forces and Public Health Wales.
“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.”
The impact of suicide reaches far and wide. Call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email [email protected] or visit samaritans.org for more information.
