Acid attack victim 'killed in plot involving ex-wife'

A drug dealer who owed £120k to his "boss" and childhood friend was doused in acid at his home in a fatal attack involving his ex-wife, a court has heard.

Danny Cahalane, 38, was attacked on Lipson Road, Plymouth, on 21 February 2025 and died in hospital on 3 May.

Seven men and three women are on trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Two of the women, both from Plymouth - his ex-wife Paris Wilson, 35, and Jude Hill, 43, who is the sister of a former partner, along with Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Ramarnee Bakas, 23, and Brian Kalemba, 23, all from London, are charged with murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Jenna Said, 39, from Plymouth, Arrone Mukuna, 25, Jean Mukuna, 23, from London, Adedoja, Bakas, Augustus, Wilson, Sungum and Kalemba have been charged with being part of an organised crime gang.

Adedoja, Bakas, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna are all charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted GBH with intent.

Opening the case, prosecutor Jo Martin KC, said father-of-two Cahalane told police the man behind the attack was a man called Ryan Kennedy, known as “Frost”, who he was in "significant debt" with.

She told the court there was "no doubt" Cahalane and Frost, who is thought to be in Dubai, had exchanged 2,000 WhatsApp messages.

The pair met as children and grew up together on the Rockingham council estate in south-east London, near Elephant and Castle.

Kennedy, who was younger than Cahalane, had become his "boss" and he was "not happy" with the amount of money Danny owed, some of which he had gambled, Martin said.

Someone Cahalane trusted, "at a level below him", had run off to New Zealand without paying anyone, she continued.

She also said Cahalane had given "excuse after excuse" not to pay back what he owed.

In one message, on 16 January 2025, Kennedy told Cahalane to meet with men who were travelling to Plymouth from London to "pass the money" otherwise they would go to his address, the court was told.

"As Danny tries to stall and make excuses Frost says, 'Your gonna die... U jus need to die... You done me £80K... they coming up now', Martin said.

Martin told the court that on the morning of 19 January three men were waiting for Cahalane at The Quay, Oreston.

Cahalane told police one of the men tried to rip his door open as he tried to shut it, the court heard, but he managed to drive away.

Minutes after the incident happened, Cahalane received a text which said: “Close call? Mate I'm telling you they gonna burn gaffes down and you’re gonna die".

The case continues.

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