A drug dealer who owed £120,000 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 in connection with the incident. Two of the women, Cahalane’s ex-wife Paris Wilson, 35, and Jude Hill, 43, 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 manslaughter.
Prosecutor Jo Martin KC told the court that Cahalane had told police the man behind the attack was a man called Ryan Kennedy, known as ‘Frost’, who he was in “significant debt” with. Cahalane and Kennedy had known each other since childhood, growing up together on the Rockingham council estate in south-east London.
Martin said there was “no doubt” Cahalane and Frost, who is thought to be in Dubai, had exchanged 2,000 WhatsApp messages. 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.
The court heard that 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. “As Danny tries to stall and make excuses Frost say, ‘Your gonna die… U jus need to die… You done me £80K… they coming up now’,” Martin said.
Jenna Said, 39, from Plymouth, and 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.
The case continues.
