Mother plotted with drugs kingpin to murder her ex-husband in an acid attack so she could get rich and felt he ‘deserved’ to get hurt, court hears

A mother conspired with a drugs kingpin to murder her ex-husband in an acid attack because he ‘deserved’ to be hurt and she wanted to get rich, a court heard today.

Paris Wilson, 35, helped plot the murder of her fitness instructor ex Danny Cahalane, 38, after the ‘acrimonious’ breakdown of their marriage, prosecutors said.

The probation worker allegedly ‘fed information’ about Mr Cahalane’s whereabouts to drugs lord Ryan Kennedy, who he owed £120,000 to after gambling with profits made from dealing.

She is also accused of setting up her ex to be ambushed the month before the attack which cost his life. 

Wilson agreed to help Kennedy in exchange for ‘a couple of grand’ and because she thought her ex ‘deserved’ to get hurt, it was heard today.

Mr Cahalane was a drug dealer who was ‘doused in acid’ at his home in Plymouth, Devon, last year. He died in hospital from his injuries 10 days later.

Kennedy – known as ‘Frost’ in the criminal world – was operating out of Dubai and orchestrated the hit on Mr Cahalane to show him ‘who was boss’, jurors were told.

Kennedy is not on trial and has not been charged with any crimes as he is ‘almost certainly’ in Dubai, Winchester Crown Court heard. 

A total of 10 people are on trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Wilson, from Plymouth, is accused of murder, manslaughter, participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group, attempted kidnap and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

The others accused of murder are five men – Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, and Brian Kalemba, 23, and one woman, Jude Hill, 43.

These defendants all pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter against Mr Cahalane. 

Prosecutor Jo Martin KC told the court today: ‘As you know, Paris Wilson was Danny Cahalane’s ex-wife and they had a daughter together.

‘Paris Wilson was fully aware of what Danny did to make his money.

‘She was to tell the police that she first had contact with Danny when he was in prison for supplying drugs.

‘They married after that, and then in about 2022 the relationship broke down.

‘By 2025, the relationship between Paris and Danny was pretty acrimonious.

‘Paris Wilson, was, this is our case, Frost’s go to contact in Plymouth – through her Frost was trying to put pressure on Danny to pay up.

‘Through her, Frost could get information about Danny’s whereabouts.

‘Paris Wilson, as you will hear was seemingly happy to give up all that information on the understanding Frost would make her wealthy.

‘Paris Wilson’s involvement ran throughout the January and February 2025 and she is charged with all counts on the indictment.’

The court heard that Wilson was in contact with Frost and texted her mother, Karen Wilson, about it.

Frost was after Mr Cahalane because he owed him tens of thousands of pounds in unpaid drugs profits, having gambled away huge sums.

Talking about the daughter they share together, Wilson wrote to her mother: ‘I think he is keeping her so Frost doesn’t go near him.’ 

On January 8, she messaged her mother saying: ‘Like Frost is losing his mind…. Frost is saying he will pay me if I find where he is today… he said he will pay me a few grand and double what Dan owes you and give you an oz….so 600 and a oz.’

She added that he was ‘minted’ and said: ‘They can’t handle any more of his lies… he’s in so much debt’.

Referring to Mr Cahalane’s new partner Michaela, she said: ‘They said they’d grab her and get her to take them to him… and she’s a c*** tbh mum so I don’t care.’ 

She also said: ‘I’m worried about my karma, but at least nobody but Dan gets hurt, and he did f*** massively with my life…and he deserves it.’ 

The prosecutor added that there was ‘no doubt’ that she set him up because ‘she told Frost exactly where Danny would be at about 10am on Sunday 19th January’, and ‘only she could have known that he was dropping off their daughter that morning at her house’.

Mr Cahalane was threatened on January 19, 2025 by men who tried to rip his car door open as he shut it. They were, according to Ms Martin, acting on Frost’s orders.

Frost later told Mr Cahalane: ‘Your mum’s house going a light tonight as well. And your girls. And your gonna die. I’m a millionaire I ain’t stopping until your dead.’

Speaking about messages between Wilson and her mother, Ms Martin said: ‘What can be clear from these messages from the 8th of January is that Paris Wilson did set Danny up, and she set him up for Frost, and 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.’

Wilson shook her head in the dock as Ms Martin said this.

The prosecutor continued: ‘Paris Wilson knew that Frost meant business.

‘She knew the level of threat that Frost was issuing to Danny.

‘On the 14th January she told her mum that Frost had messaged her the night before saying “get that bum to call me he’s dead”.’

The court previously heard that two men broke into Mr Cahalane’s home on February 21, 2025, and by the time they had driven off ‘sulphuric acid had been thrown on [Mr Cahalane]; burning into his whole body’. 

He was treated in hospital for about 10 weeks before dying on May 3, 2025 as a result of his horrific injuries.

Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole, Augustus, Wilson, Sungum, Kalemba, Jean Mukuna, 23, Arrone Mukuna, 25, and Jenna Said, 39, have all denied participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna have pleaded not guilty to the attempted kidnap and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent of Mr Cahalane, which allegedly took place on January 19, 2025.

The trial continues.