Ex-wife among six Londoners charged over fatal acid attack allegedly linked to drug and gambling debts

The ex-wife of a drug dealer who grew up in south-east London is among ten charged with his murder following a fatal acid attack in Plymouth, a court has heard. Jurors were told that the victim had built up a £120,000 ($164,000) drug debt after a junior dealer ran off without paying him and after further losses through gambling.

Danny Cahalane, 38, died after sulphuric acid was thrown over him at a property in Lipson Road, Plymouth, in the early hours of February 21 last year. He died in hospital on May 3 after spending 10 weeks receiving treatment for his injuries.

A mother conspired with a drug dealer to murder her ex-husband in an acid attack to get rich, a court heard…

Danny Cahalane trial hears his former partner took a ‘couple of grand’ to help killers ambush him pic.twitter.com/BrPEwF1t1e

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Cited by the Enfield Independent, Jo Martin KC opened the prosecution’s case, saying Mr Cahalane was targeted because he owed a “large amount of money” to a higher-ranking drug dealer. She told jurors: “What does become abundantly clear from the messages is that Danny owed Frost in the region of £120,000, and Frost was not happy about that.”

Ms Martin said Mr Cahalane was “clearly not capable of finding the money” and that, in messages, he “gives excuses and tries to find ways to delay the need to hand over money”. She added: “And all that happens is that Frost becomes increasingly incensed and agitated.”

Victim of acid attack told police gambling losses contributed to drug debt

The prosecution alleged the debt was owed to Ryan Kennedy, known by the nickname “Frost”, who Ms Martin said operated between Thailand, Spain and Dubai and is currently believed to be in Dubai. She told the court that messages showed Kennedy boasting of having 320kg of cannabis in a shipping container, with a wholesale value of £960,000 ($1.3 million), rising to around £3.2 million ($4.4 million) if sold in single-gram deals.

Jurors were told that Mr Cahalane was able to speak to police from his hospital bed before his death. Ms Martin said he told officers that he had built up the debt after another dealer ran off without paying him, while further money was lost through gambling.

She continued: “He said that he knew that the man behind the attack on him was called Ryan Kennedy who had the nickname Frost.”

Ms Martin added that Mr Cahalane said he had known Kennedy since childhood, telling police that he had known him “from growing up on a council estate – the Rockingham Estate in south-east London, just near the Elephant and Castle.”

According to the prosecution, Kennedy first arranged an attempted kidnapping on January 19, 2025, after becoming angry at the failure to repay the debt, before ordering the fatal acid attack weeks later.

Messages recovered from Mr Cahalane’s phone allegedly showed repeated threats from Kennedy. One message stated: “Your gonna die….U jus need to die….You done me £80K…they coming up now…I’m gonna give them extra 40k to come and take your eyes out you’r head.”

Mr Cahalane replied: “Talking about switching me off, I’ve got the 46 covered, sorting for you, been long, I’m telling you I got my little girl my man is sorting tomorrow.”

Eight minutes after the failed kidnapping attempt, Kennedy allegedly sent a message from Dubai saying: “Close call? Mate I’m telling you they gonna burn gaffes down and your gonna die.”

Describing the fatal attack, Ms Martin said that in the early hours of February 21 two men broke into Mr Cahalane’s home. “By the time the two men had driven off, Danny Cahalane had been the victim of an acid attack – sulphuric acid being thrown on him, burning into his whole body,” she said.

Mr Cahalane remained in hospital for 10 weeks before he died. Ms Martin told jurors: “There can be no doubt that Danny Cahalane was murdered. Whoever threw acid over him must have intended, at the very least, to cause him really serious bodily harm.”

She said the attack was carried out to enforce drug debts and to “teach a very significant lesson” for what Kennedy saw as a lack of respect.

Defendants go on trial over murder

Ten defendants are on trial, with seven charged with murder or an alternative count of manslaughter. Six of those defendants are from London, including individuals from Neasden, Tottenham, Edmonton, Barking and Camden.

Those charged with murder or manslaughter include Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden; Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of London; Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham; Isanah Sungum, 22, of Edmonton; Brian Kalemba, 23, of Barking; and Paris Wilson, 35, and Jude Hill, 43, both of Plymouth.

Five defendants are charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted grievous bodily harm in relation to the incident on 19 January. They include Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole and Wilson, along with Jean Mukuna, 23, and Arrone Mukuna, 25, both of Camden.

Nine defendants are also charged with being involved in an organized crime group concerned with the supply of drugs and the enforcement of drug debts between 1 January and 11 April 2025. Those charged include Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole, Augustus, Wilson, Sungum, Kalemba, Jean Mukuna, Arrone Mukuna and Jenna Said, 39, of Plymouth.

The trial continues.

Featured image: Devon & Cornwall Police

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