Remember me
A jury has been told how witnesses heard the agonising screams of a father-of-two after he had been attacked and sprayed with acid which later caused his death.
The trial of ten people - seven men from London and three women from Plymouth - continued today (January 27) at Winchester Crown Court where junior prosecutor Richard Posner read out a number of witness statements given to police following the attack on Danny Cahalane at his home in Plymouth in the early hours of February 21, 2025.
The dad died in Bristol hospital on May 3, 2025, at the age of 38, PlymouthLive reports.
The jury was previously told that 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 admitted to police he had also gambled with the profits, including money that should have gone back to a drugs boss, named in court as Ryan Kennedy, also known as 'Frost'.
The jury was told that one of the men's threats sent to Danny included one from Frost, warning him, "you're gonna die". The jury also heard how a message from Danny's ex-wife, Paris Wilson - accused of his murder - saw her tell him she hoped he would "end up with acid in your face".
Mr Posner read a statement from neighbour Laura Davis, who recalled waking up to silence but a few seconds later hearing glass breaking at the back of her neighbour's home. Around 15 seconds later, she heard a scuffle and then a scream.
She told police: "I've never heard a scream like this. I couldn't even tell if it came from a male or a female due to how much pain this person was in."
Looking out her window she saw a man in black with a hood up fighting with someone. She called 999 and while doing so heard a sound which made her think they had left via the back gate."
The jury also heard the statement of Sheikh Gibba who was walking past with his friend Zach Soliman. Mr Gibba said he heard a scream which got "louder and worse". He saw a man - Danny - "walking back and forth screaming and shouting 'help me'". Mr Gibba and Mr Soliman, along with another male who was in the street, Brandan Coyle, all went to Danny's aid.
Mr Gibba told police Danny told him he'd been attacked and needed an ambulance. The jury heard how Mr Gibba described the injuries covering Danny's face, arm, torso and leg, adding that his "left eye was completely shut due to swelling". He also had "numerous cuts" on his left leg. He said he guessed Danny had been attacked with acid as he kept saying "it's burning, it stings".
Mr Soliman's statement to police similarly said he saw Danny "walking around the road, screaming, clearly in pain" and shouting "it's burning, it's burning".
Mr Coyle's statement noted the same injuries, adding that Danny told him that 'some people had broken into his house, thrown something at him and stabbed him'.
He told police that Danny said "I can't see out of my eyes" and that they appeared grey and swollen. He also recalled that when police arrived, they pulled out shields before entering the house.
An audio recording to 999 made by Mr Gibba was played to the jury. During it, Danny could be heard screaming and clearly in agony, shouting "I'm going to die", "I can't see anything" and "I'm going to lose my sight". He also repeatedly told the men about a person who was in the house that he wanted to keep safe and begged them to check on that person.
The jury also heard statements from paramedics who attended who said Danny was "screaming in pain" and could not see out of his left eye. On inspection, the eye appeared "opaque" and did not react to light. Another estimated that between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of his body was covered in burns.
Statements from police officers who attended the scene highlighted the discovery of two sets of containers, and a "vinegar" smell related to the use of sulphuric acid. A sergeant who attended stated that officers were advised to enter the property wielding shields as there were concerns the suspects may still be inside and still armed with acid. Another said they could see "visible injuries" to Danny's face and neck, noting that his face had become "grey green" and he cried out out "I can't see" and "I'm burning".
Prior to these statements being read out to the jury, lead prosecutor Joanne Martin KC summarised the final parts of the Crown's case against the accused, outlining the circumstances leading up to Danny's alleged attempted kidnapping on January 19, 2025, in Oreston, the acid attack at his home in Lipson Road, Plymouth, on February 21, 2025 and his death a few weeks later on May 3, at the age of just 38.
Ms Martin KC told the jury there was "no doubt" that what was intended in Oreston on January 19 went beyond merely talking to him about his debt, noting Frost's messages which stated that men were being sent to cause him serious harm.
She said that what those who went to Exmouth on January 24 to do, where they targeted Kevin Fitzgerald - father of Jude Hill's son and a friend to Danny - who was also in debt to Frost - was also more than just a talking to.
As for the attack on Danny on February 21, she told the jury the prosecution's case was that this was planned and that it was to culminate in powerful corrosive sulphuric acid being thrown on him - twice, as they had heard during an earlier part of the opening statement.
She went on to explain that the prosecution would show how money was sent between a number of individuals as payments for everything from taxi, bus, ferry and plane tickets, to petrol, Uber drivers, and, the prosecution alleges, drugs and for services rendered such as arranging for accommodation. She also explained how a variety of cryptocurrencies were used to transfer money and would be a feature of the case against the accused.
Ms Martin KC told the jury the case was about underlying criminal activity and that messages discovered by investigators showed that Danny and Frost were "both involved in significant drug supply".
She said all accused were involved to some degree, with the exception of Kalemba and Wilson - although she noted how Wilson was "clearly willing to become involved in the importation of illegal contraband" referencing a message she sent to her mother where she appeared to consider Frost's suggestion of using her connections in Plymouth's maritime businesses to assist with the importation of drugs in shipping containers.
She noted how transactions uncovered by police revealed how Bakas Sithole made payments to a wallet in Adedoja's name, amounting to more than 300,000 US dollars, between November 2024 and September 2025.
Ms Martin noted another message sent from Jean Mukuna to a person called 'Ants' on February 22, after the attack on Danny. The message read “Yo my bro my niggas got special water for real fights u know someone who’d want it?". He later wrote to Bakas Sithole "he'll lmk [let me know]". The jury was told the prosecution's case was that, given what is now known to have happened the day before, this suggests that Jean was trying to sell off what was surplus acid on behalf of Bakas Sithole.
She highlighted drugs found at Augustus' address when he was arrested. Around £3,000 worth of cannabis, over £4,000 worth of crack cocaine and over £34,000 worth of a drug known on the street as Tussi - a mixture of Ketamine and Ecstasy - was found . He also had paraphernalia associated with selling drugs, including scales and zip lock bags. As a consequence, the jury was told he had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
Ms Martin KC said this was "not a small amount of drugs" and would have to have been sourced by Augustus from somewhere and he would have had sold them - as with Danny - and passed the majority of the profits back up the chain. She said that messages on his phones about the sale of drugs went back "some time" and he sent out videos of large quantities of cannabis. She added he had "many vanity photos" of himself with large amounts of drugs and videos of him with cannabis and cash and even one showing someone cooking up crack cocaine.
She said the prosecution's case was that it was reasonable to infer Augustus was working in the same organised crime group as Adedoja and Bakas Sithole and that he was trusted by the group.
She said it was clear Augustus accompanied Asante and that he entered Danny's house on that night. She told the jury Augustus "must have known" about the acid in the car and that he knew he needed to wear gloves to avoid fingerprints being left. She reminded them of CCTV footage which showed him as being "fully engaged and on board with what was going on".
Ms Martin KC said there was evidence to suggest that both Brian Kalemba - who drove Asante to Plymouth - and Isanah Sungum - who brought Augustus to Plymouth - both were involved in transporting someone for what was "obviously a drug-related reason"
She said they were more than mere "facilitators or drivers" as there was evidence they knew the plan was to throw acid at Danny Cahalane. The jury was told how Adedoja messaged Kalemba on February 17, 2025, stating "ASAP need driver, Frost 70K".
The jury was told that after using a stolen car from Bakas Sithole, Kalemba drove it and Asante to Plymouth using the Waze app on his phone to go to 33 Lipson Road - Danny's home. The jury was told it was likely the acid was transported at the same time, ending up in a rucksack later found in the back garden of Danny's house. The jury was told that Kalemba headed to Jenna Said’s house in Ernesettle Green, before he then left and returned to London by train, having been accused of being a "pussy".
Ms Martin KC noted Kalemba's phone showed he had a "considerable interest in number plates" and that the plates on the car he drove had its plates changed while he was in the car.
Explaining Isanah Sungum's involvement, Ms Martin KC said it was more than just being a driver. She noted his police statement which claimed he was asked by a friend to take someone he knew as "Dr Trez" to Plymouth. He claimed he asked a Romanian friend if he wanted the job and that the Romanian friend said he did, but would not go without Sungum. He went on to tell police the three of them went to Plymouth and there was no conversation about why they were going.
After arriving, he claimed he and his Romanian friend turned the car around and drove all the way back to London. The next day, he took his Romanian friend to meet another of his friends, who paid the Romanian £400. Sungum said he received no money.
Ms Martin KC said that while Sungum claimed to have had no idea what was going on, the prosecution noted that he received a message from 'Speedy/Peezy' stating "make sure everything goes smoothly" and that he was in contact with Adedoja after he left Augustus in Plymouth.
He also asked Augustus at 3.50am - while Augustus and Asante were inside the house - "any updates?" and continued to try and reach Augustus multiple times over the next 20 minutes. He was also the first person Augustus tried to contact when they ran out of petrol on the M4.
In addition, Sungum was later warned by Speedy/Peezy "you have a lot of explaining to do", which Ms Martin KC suggested was not a message sent to someone who did not have other responsibilities and was just a driver.
The court was told that Sungum also appeared to be heavily involved in cars, and Ms Martin KC said the prosecution's case was that Sungum was also involved in the stealing of cars to order, as per a series of messages on his phone.
As for the brothers Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna, Ms Martin KC said the prosecution would argue that their contact both by phone and in person with Bakas Sithole and Adedoja on the evening of February 21 suggested they were fully aware of what was going to happen. The jury was reminded of the "special water" for "real fights" message from Jean Mukuna on February 22 to a friend.
She reminded the jury of their involvement on the Oreston incident on January 19 and the Exmouth incident five days later and the various calls recorded in their names to each other with Bakas Sithole. The jury also heard of transfers of money from Jean Mukuna to Bakas, suggesting that he was selling drugs on behalf of Bakas and passing him his share of the profit.
The jury heard that when Jean Mukuna was arrested, and his home searched, a rucksack was found under his bed containing more than £1,700 of cocaine, along with scales and ziplock bags. As a consequence, Jean Mukuna pleaded guilty to possession of drugs with intent to supply. The jury was told there were also messages on his phone related to the sale of cannabis, cocaine and nitrous oxide, as well as photos of him and his brother, Arrone, with others and a large amount of cash.
In his police interview, Jean Mukuna was silent except for a short statement saying he was offered money to drive someone, and he asked no further questions about this action.
With regards to Arrone Mukuna, Ms Martin KC said he also had messages on his phone from Bakas Sithole and was called by him just before 11am on the morning of February 21, while Asante and Augustus were stuck in the middle of Wiltshire.
It was suggested he also had messages on his phone which alluded to the supply of drugs, such as a request for "H" - the usual term for heroin - and Arrone replying it had "just landed". The jury was also told that there was a financial connection between him and Bakas Sithole, with money flowing in both directions between April 2024 and March 2025.
Ms Martin KC noted that Paris Wilson was in regular contact with the drug boss who was threatening her ex-husband, Danny. The jury was reminded that Paris even admitted to police that the reason she initially lied to them when called to his house in Lipson Road, saying she did not want social services to know she knew anything about crime, let alone about "this level of organised crime".
The jury was told that her claim that the men were only going to talk to him outside her home in Oreston did not fit with the evidence of her communications with Frost, as told to her mother. Ms Martin KC noted her "clear vitriol" towards her former husband and that she had "privileged information" about where he would be and at what time.
Ms Martin KC told the court: "Paris Wilson is clear she wants money. In her messages with Danny, she is angry that he has a new house, angry that his girlfriend has branded handbags, and is happy to suggest to Frost that she will be able to help him with illegal importations through a contact she had at the harbour who she thought would be open to being involved.
"She used, in her messages, the lingo of the drug dealer. She clearly wanted to be involved in Frost's world."
The jury was told that Paris continued to communicate with Frost after the Oreston incident on January 19 and kept up her efforts to find where Danny now lives. The court was told that in messages on the evening of January 19, just a few hours after the alleged kidnap attempt on The Quay, she posted an image: "If anyone knows where that loser of an ex of mine is, let me know.... And Michaela [his girlfriend] as well".
The jury was told by Ms Martin KC that by February 17, Paris was aware Frost was no longer prepared to communicate with Danny and knew enough of what was about to happen, sending a message to Danny about hoping he and his girlfriend got acid in the face.
The jury was asked to consider how Frost knew where Danny would be on the night of February 20, taking into account that Paris and Danny had had to agree on having a specific individual stay with Danny at his Lipson Road home on that night.
Ms Martin KC asked the jury: "Who else could give Frost, and then the rest of his men, that information? Who else could tell them the layout of the house that Paris Wilson shared with Danny? Who else could tell them the weak spot of entry, through the back gate and bottom back door?"
The jury was told that at 3.26am February 21, shortly before the attack on Danny, Paris unlocked her phone and the following day she received a code sent to her by Telegram - the encrypted messaging service - but that Telegram, through which she seems to have communicated with Frost - was not on the phone by the time she was arrested.
Ms Martin told the jury that Paris was privy to "crucial information" from Frost about the attack and alleged that she knew exactly what was going to happen to Danny that night.
Regarding Jude Hill and Jenna Said, Ms Martin KC said there was no dispute that Hill arranged for men to stay at her cousin Jenna's house. The prosecution's case was that Hill was much more heavily involved with Frost, with the world of drugs, and had much greater knowledge of what was going to happen to Danny Cahalane when she made the arrangements for the men to stay at Said’s home in Ernesettle Green.
During her interview with police, Said said Hill contacted her by Snapchat and asked her if two friends of Sonny’s - Hill's son - could come round for a couple of hours to wait. Jenna told the police she believed they were waiting for a drugs drop and she would be paid £100 for allowing them to wait.
The jury heard that investigators found voice messages left by Hill on the phone of Karen Wilson, Paris' mother, sent on March 1, 2025 - before anyone was arrested in Plymouth and on May 2 or 3 - after the arrest of Jenna Said and Paris Wilson. The messages were also found on Hill’s phone when she was arrested in June 2025 having re-entered the country from Thailand.
Ms Martin KC said it appeared Hill was drunk when she left the messages.
The March 1 messaged included Hill saying: "The worst thing though is that everyone knew, I told everyone f***ing what time it was so, told Louise [sister of Jude Hill] not to have Daley [Louise's son with Danny Cahalane] there, told Paris she’s been talking you know, and knows uh he was going to get like seriously hurt, so none of them should have been there."
The May 2 message had Hill saying that the man who had attempted to kidnap Sonny asked "have you got somewhere my mates can go for a couple of hours to collect some money, after telling Louise and Paris numerous times there was problems, and then Louise and Paris saying, no it was sorted Paris, I’ve got, um Karen, I’ve got nothing to hide. They’ve been, not, I don’t know if it’s the same people, but since I been here, Jenna had his other mates go there and stay, and give her a bit of money, she’s on f***ing adult work, she’s doing whatever she’s doing. Sonny’s petrified of him."
Later on the same day she left a message saying: "He’s just said, do me a favour, he’s been pressurising Sonny for money, do me a favour and I’ll take £500 quid off the bill, and I’ll give them a little drink. My mate go there and collect some money, I’m not denying that."
During her police interview, she gave a prepared statement, saying she was not aware of what the man staying at Jenna's house was planning to do, adding that she thought they were staying there "because she works as an escort and has had men staying there before in similar circumstances." She said she was "afraid" of the person or people who attacked Danny, adding: "I believe they burnt my house down and kidnapped Sonny whilst I was in Thailand."
Ms Martin said she was aware of Danny's debt and that the people he owed money to were dangerous. She answered a few of the police's questions, calling Frost a "scumbag", accused him of torching her house and kidnapping her son, claiming this was done because of "money and drugs" She said she knew Frost through her ex-partner, Kevin Fitzgerald.
In a later interview with police, she said she did not really know Frost and although she knew he was a "big drugs lord’, she claimed that "everyone knew what was going to happen".
She later admitted that she knew the request to house the men had come from Frost, explaining that he had asked for them to stay with Jenna so they could have sex with her.
Hill told police Jenna did not contact her saying she was scared and insisted they thought only one man was going to stay there, despite her admissions to Karen Wilson. She denied she was to be paid for making the arrangement, despite the voicemail to the contrary.
Hill also told police that Frost had tried to kidnap her ex-partner, Kevin Fitzgerald, because he was in debt to him and that she was very frightened of Frost.
Ms Martin KC said it was significant that both before and after the assault on Danny, Hill was heavily involved in the export of cannabis from Thailand to Plymouth. The jury was told that Thailand had become a "considerable producer of cannabis" following the effective decriminalisation of cannabis there in 2022. As such, police found that in numerous messages on her phone, Hill discussed parcel drops in Plymouth, getting people to become ‘flyers’ - people willing to fly to Thailand and return with drugs in their suitcases - and encouraged others to invest in the enterprise.
Examining her bank account, police found there were money movements between Hill and Jenna Said from April 2024 to February 2025, with a total of £3,640 in five payments from Jenna Said to Jude Hill - a £2,000 payment from Said to Hill on September 13, 2024, and another on February 26 for £1,250. The jury was told by Ms Martin KC that this was indicative of Said supplying drugs on behalf of her cousin and forwarding to her the profits owed.
Ms Martin KC told the jury: "It is clear from what happened in Exmouth on January 24, and the arson attack on Jude Hill’s house in Plymouth, and what she told the police about a kidnapping of Sonny, that Jude Hill knew exactly what Frost was capable of. It is also clear from her voice messages that she knew that Danny Cahalane was in serious debt to Frost.
"She also said in her voice messages to Karen Wilson that she had warned both her sister Louise and Paris not to let the children stay at the address. She said she had told them ‘what f***ing time it was’."
The jury was told they could infer from all this that Hill wanted to keep Frost "on side," given her involvement in drugs, his promise to take £500 off a debt owed and her belief that he ordered an arson attack on her home.
As for Jenna Said, Ms Martin KC said that while her involvement was less than the others, and that she found herself in a "difficult situation" and was scared of the men at her address, messages on her phone showed she was still "knowingly and actively involved locally in Plymouth in the supply of drugs - both cannabis and cocaine." The court was told this included allowing her address to be used, for instance, for a package containing 2.2 kilos of cannabis coming from the USA in 2024.
Ms Martin KC told the jury that while Said had been put in a difficult position by her cousin, she "nevertheless participated, knowingly, in the activities of an organised crime group".
A total of 10 defendants - seven men from London and three women from Plymouth - are on trial, with seven of these accused of Mr Cahalane’s murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter, on May 3, 2025.
They 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.
Nine of the defendants are also charged with being involved in an organised crime gang involved in the supply of drugs, including enforcement of drug debts, between January 1, 2025, and April 11, 2025. They are Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole, Augustus, Wilson, Sungum, Kalemba, Jean and Arrone Mukuna and Jenna Said, 39, of Ernesettle Green, Plymouth.
All ten deny the charges.
The trial continues.