Man accused of acid murder says he was unarmed

A man accused of murdering a drug dealer with acid has told a jury he was unarmed on the night of the attack.

Danny Cahalane, 38, was seriously injured at his home on Lipson Road, Plymouth, on 21 February 2025 and died in hospital on 3 May. Seven men and two women are on trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Cahalane told police he had been attacked by two men with acid and a screwdriver but Israel Augustus asked the jury: "If I was going to attack Cahalane why would I go in unarmed?"

Augustus, 26, from London, is charged with murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter and being part of an organised crime group.

Augustus, who has told the court he sold drugs via Whatsapp, said he had travelled from London to Plymouth to buy a stolen Renault and once there, had been handed the fob for the car by Kelvin Asante, 23, from Eresby Place in London.

Augustus said he wanted to return to London with the car but Asante asked him first to come with him to collect money from a nearby address.

He thought the money was connected with drugs dealing, said Augustus. "Asante just said he wanted to collect money, I agreed and said I would take him," he told the court.

Early in the morning on 21 February Augustus said he drove the Renault to the rear of Cahalane's house and after parking the car, followed Asante to Cahalane's house, but initially stayed outside. He said he did not know Cahalane and had "no animosity" towards him.

The court has previously heard that Cahalane owed about £120,000 to a drugs dealer higher up the chain.

But Augustus said he "did not know about any drug debt" and "there would be no reason for me to hurt this individual".

Asante had been holding a takeaway coffee cup as he went into the house, said Augustus, telling the court: "I did not know what was in it, it could have been water or anything."

He told the jury he had hoped to grab any cash Asante brought back out, saying: "I am an opportunist, I would take the money back to London."

After he heard shouting from the house he said he went inside and saw Cahalane on the stairs swearing at Asante at the bottom. Cahalane at that point did not appear to be injured, he said.

The court has heard previously that Cahalane said he had been attacked with acid in his bedroom and on the doorstep of his house.

Augustus said he returned to the car and Asante followed later with burns and cuts on his hands and smelling strongly of acid.

The pair's car later broke down on a motorway and they wandered around Chippenham and got a lift before making their way back to London.

Paris Wilson, 35, and Jude Hill, 43, from Plymouth, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, Ramarnee Bakas, 23 and Brian Kalemba, 23, all from London, are charged with murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

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

Adedoja, Bakas, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna are also charged with attempted kidnapping.

The trial continues.

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