Ten people are on trial over the death of Danny Cahalane, who was allegedly attacked with corrosive sulphuric acid which led to his death
A jury watched a distressing video of an acid attack victim give evidence from his hospital bed before he died.
The Winchester Crown Court jury heard how victim Danny Cahalane, 38, died at a Bristol hospital after he was attacked at his home in the early hours of February 21, 2025, which left him with severe chemical burns. Members of the jury were previously told Danny was a “drug dealer in Plymouth who owed a large amount of money to another drug dealer further up the chain of command,” suggesting it was around £120,000 in total.
Danny told police he gambled with the profits, including money meant for his drugs boss, named in court as Ryan Kennedy, also known as “Frost.” The court heard Frost, from London, is understood to currently be in Dubai.
The trail of 10 people, seven men from London and three women from Plymouth, continued today. Seven are accused of Danny’s murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. A video statement from Danny, taken on February 25, 2025, was shown to the jury.
Detective Sgt Sutcliffe explained that police attended the hospital at Danny’s request. He said Danny was in the Intensive Care Unit at the time and that his mum Vivien and step father Tony Bleech were also at the hospital visiting him.
Danny was on strong painkillers due t his injuries, including ketamine, and the recording needed to be paused frequently as nurses and doctors attended to him. Danny said he was in debt to Frost and he told officers he had a good relationship with Frost then admitted he gambled some of it away and that he did not have enough to pay him back.
Danny died at the hospital on May 3 and his mum, who had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, died the following day. He explained how he was woken up by an attack by two men.
He explained how his lamp light was on and he was being hit or stabbed by a man holding a screwdriver. Danny said he fought back and had been shouting and screaming at the men in an attempt to “scare them off,” PlymouthLive reported.
He recalled one of the men shouting “where’s the peas” which meant where was the money, but he had replied there was no money. He said he effectively chased the men out of back door of the property, the way he believed they got in, and locked the door.
Danny said he could not be sure if he had been hit with acid at this point and had been trying to go out the front door but it was double locked and he slipped over. At the same time, he heard glass breaking and one of the men racing back in and threw acid over him.
The late drug dealer told police he remembered “screaming” at his front door and three men coming to his aid and him “screaming ‘call the police'” adding ” I knew it was acid.” Danny added he believed his “ex had set me up.”
He said Paris Wilson “knew I would be home that night and that the pair split up at Christmas. The 10 suspects in the case are Paris Wilson, 35, of The Quay, Plymouth; Jude Hill, 43, of Wantage Gardens, Plymouth; Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London; Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of Islington, London; Israel Augustus, aged 26, of Tottenham, London; Isanah Sungum, 22, of Edmonton, London; and Brian Kalemba, 23, of Barking, London.
Five of the defendants are charged with the attempted kidnapping and attempted grievous bodily harm of Mr Cahalane on January 19 2025, at The Quay in Oreston, Plymouth. They are Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole and Wilson, along with Jean Mukuna, 23, and Arrone Mukuna, 25, both of Camden, London.
All 10 deny the charges, the trial continues.
