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

The ex-wife of man who died after an acid attack supplied information to the leader of a drug gang so he could threaten him over a £120,000 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.

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

The trial heard Paris Wilson, 35, from Plymouth, who is charged with murder, “set up” her ex-husband as part of an attempted kidnapping by providing information about his whereabouts to gang boss Ryan Kennedy, known as “Frost”, in exchange for money.

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 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.

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

The jury was shown CCTV footage showing 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 who prosecutors allege were 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 tells Kennedy, “you’re terrorising me bruv” and insists he will pay him back.

Kennedy replies: “Alright cool let’s go to war… Keep the money.”

It is alleged Wilson was key to providing information to gang boss Kennedy and she provided 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.”

In Facebook messages to her mother, Wilson said Kennedy was “losing his mind” over the unpaid debts and “he just can’t handle being disrespected”.

She said of Cahalane: “He deserves it.”

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 Kenndey 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.

The trial continues.