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.”

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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.

A man who inflicted “life-changing” injuries on a neighbour in a savage knife attack amid a row over a parking space has been jailed for more than seven years.

Stephen McAulay, 35, stabbed James Duncan “multiple times” to the head and body during the incident outside their homes in the Carntyne area of Glasgow on 13 May 2024.

It came after bus driver McAulay sustained a minor facial injury during an earlier confrontation over a parking space on their road, with the attacker later returning armed with a blade.

Judge Lord Young told McAulay: “Whatever the rights and wrongs of that dispute, you would not let the matter rest.”

Crane operator Mr Duncan required emergency surgery to a chest wound, while injuries to his head resulted in “significant” loss of vision to one eye.

The judge described the injuries as “life-changing”, adding: “This appears to be an attack caused more by intoxication and loss of face than anything else.”

McAulay last month pleaded guilty to attempted murder at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Lord Young dismissed McAulay’s claim that he had taken the knife with him in “self-defence”.

The judge said: “You went looking for your victim to continue the argument, and you took a knife with you that you were prepared to use.”

Lord Young highlighted Mr Duncan’s victim impact statement, noting: “He will struggle to return to work. These were truly life-changing injuries that you have inflicted.”

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Earlier, defence solicitor Ross Yuill described his client’s decision to “arm himself with a knife” and confront his neighbour as “inexplicable”.

The lawyer said McAulay has now had his first experience of custody which he found challenging.

He added: “The consequence for him will be a period of custody but also he will miss the birth of his child.”

Mr Yuill said McAulay was “sorry” for the incident and he “wishes again to offer his apologies to the complainer having had significant time to reflect on his actions”.

Police have issued a fresh appeal for information one year on from the disappearance of a teenager in Stornoway.

Aleksandr Benga, who would now be 17, was last spotted on CCTV near to the water wheel in the grounds of Stornoway’s Lews Castle at about 8.45am on 18 November 2024.

Extensive enquiries and searches have taken place since then, with Police Scotland receiving support from specialist search advisors, the force’s dog unit and mountain rescue team, the coastguard and many volunteers from the local community.

Inspector Euan Cowan said: “It has now been a year since Aleksandr was last seen and we recognise how difficult this continues to be for his family and friends.

“Despite extensive searches and enquiries involving specialist teams and partner agencies, Aleksandr remains missing.

“We continue to review all available information and will act on any new details which come to light.”

Aleksandr is described as 6ft 2in tall, slim, with brown hair. When last seen, he was wearing a beige jumper and black jeans and had a yellow beanie hat with him.

The teenager was also wearing a red jacket, which was later recovered during a search of Seaforth Road in Stornoway.

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Inspector Cowan added: “I would again urge anyone who has not yet spoken to police, or who may have even the smallest piece of information, to get in touch. No detail is too minor and may assist with our enquiries.

“Aleksandr’s family have expressed their gratitude to everyone who has offered help and support over the past year and have requested their privacy be respected.”