Acid attack victim was ‘set up by his ex-wife’

A man who died in an acid attack was set up by his ex-wife who believed he “deserved to be hurt” in a feud over a £120,000 drug debt, a court has heard.

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

Paris Wilson, 35, from Plymouth, who is charged with murder, is alleged to have provided information about Cahalane’s whereabouts as part of an attempted kidnapping by gang boss Ryan Kennedy in exchange for money.

Nine other people are on trial at Winchester Crown Court charged with offences including murder, manslaughter, attempted kidnapping and being part of a gang involved in the supply of drugs.

In her opening statement, prosecutor Jo Martin KC said father-of-two Cahalane faced “real threats” as he stalled on paying Kennedy, known as “Frost” and who is believed to be in Dubai.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of Cahalane dropping off his daughter at Wilson’s house in Plymouth on 19 January 2025.

As he goes to get back into his car, Cahalane is seen to be confronted by three men alleged to be part of Frost’s gang – Jean and Arrone Mukuna and a third man, Kelvin Asante – but Cahalane manages to speed off.

He was subsequently sent messages by Kennedy which said: “I’m a millionaire I ain’t stopping until your [sic] dead.”

Cahalane had promised him money but Kennedy warned: “I’ll get your location again. And your [sic] gonna get shot.”

The jury was also shown a video of the outside of a door prosecutors allege was the home of Cahalane’s mother.

The video was sent to Cahalane with the heading: “You have a couple of hours.”

In messages read out in court, Cahalane told Kennedy, “you’re terrorising me bruv” and insisted he would pay him back, to which Kennedy replied: “Alright cool let’s go to war… Keep the money.”

Wilson was key to providing information to the gang boss and she gave it “on the understanding Frost would make her wealthy”, Martin said.

“Paris Wilson set Danny up,” she said.

“She set him up for Frost. She set him up for two reasons – because she was going to get paid by Frost – a couple of grand; and because she thought Danny deserved to be hurt.”

The jury heard Wilson sent Facebook messages to her mother, in which she said Kennedy was “losing his mind” over the drug debts and “he just can’t handle being disrespected”.

She said of her ex-husband “he deserves it”, due to the way he treated her, the court was told.

Martin alleged Wilson and her mother were “actively thinking about ways of finding out where Danny lives and where he might be at any given time”.

Prosecutors allege information about his whereabouts – including on 19 January when he was confronted outside Wilson’s house – had been “fed back to Frost” as part of an attempted kidnapping.

“Those three men were not just there to have a quiet word with Danny,” she said.

“They were there to put the frighteners on Danny.”

Prosecutors said the attempted kidnapping failed and Wilson sent a series of messages to Cahalane and her mother denying her involvement.

However, in interviews with detectives following Cahalane’s death, she admitted she had told Kennedy her address and when Cahalane would be there.

The court heard Wilson was initially “treated as a witness” and was first contacted by police when Cahalane was attacked with acid as their daughter was with him at the time.

Jude Hill, 43, Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Ramarnee Bakas, 23, and Brian Kalemba, 23, all from London, are also 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 grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.