Case dropped against woman in acid murder trial

A woman accused of being involved in a fatal acid attack has been released after the case against her was dismissed in court.

Danny Cahalane, 38, was attacked with sulphuric acid 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.

Jenna Said, 39, of Plymouth, was on trial charged with being involved in an organised crime group, but Judge Ms Justice Heather Norton dropped the charge due to "insufficient evidence". Said was not facing any other charges.

A conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm charge was also dropped against five defendants before the defence's case opened on Monday, after prosecution decided there was "insufficient evidence".

The jury was directed to return not guilty verdicts for Ramarnee Bakas, 23, Arrone Mukuna, 25, and Jean Mukuna, 23, from London, and Paris Wilson, 35, from Plymouth, who were the only defendants charged with the conspiracy offence.

Wilson and Jude Hill, 43, from Plymouth, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, Bakas 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 and Jean Mukuna.

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

Murder-accused Adedoja was the first defendant to take the stand in the trial.

The 23-year-old told the jury he was a low-level cannabis dealer who was asked by a drugs gang boss called Ryan Kennedy, known as Frost, to organise a driver to collect a £70,000 debt from Plymouth in exchange for money.

Adedoja said he saw Frost from "time-to-time", adding Frost called him "out of the blue" before Christmas.

"I was told by Ryan Kennedy that he had some money that needed to be picked up by Kelvin Asante," he said.

He told the court he had no knowledge of the attack and had never heard of Danny Cahalane until he was arrested.

He said he found out about the attack about two weeks later, when Asante's door was broken down.

"I did not intend for any harm to be caused to Danny Cahalane. If I had known, I would have removed myself of this situation," he said.

The trial continues.

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