Ex-wife of drug dealer killed in Plymouth acid attack jailed
Danny Cahalane died in hospital after being attacked with sulphuric acid in February last year (2025)
Last updated 47 minutes ago
The ex-wife of a drug dealer who was killed in an acid attack in Plymouth and who aimed to get “wealthy” from his death has been jailed.
38-year-old Danny Cahalane died in hospital on 3rd May 2025, having suffered what've been described as 'horrific' injuries after being attacked with sulphuric acid in his home on Lipson Road on 21st February 2025.
Paris Wilson, who was found guilty of manslaughter earlier this year, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Winchester Crown Court today (31 July).
Three others were also jailed today for their role in the attack on Danny Cahalane last February.
Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London, and Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, London, were both jailed for life to serve a minimum of 31 and 30 years respectively after being found guilty of murdering Mr Cahalane.
23-year-old Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, who's also from London, was previously convicted of manslaughter and was jailed for 10 years.
Four others were jailed for their roles in the attack in May.
The attack and trial
During an 18-week trial, the court was told Cahalane had gambled away drug money, and was targeted because he owed over a hundred thousand pounds to another dealer.
Prosecutor Jo Martin KC outlined the motive behind the attack as Mr Cahalane's failure to repay a drug debt to a dealer amounting to approximately £120,000.
She said this dealer was a man called Ryan Kennedy – with the nickname of Frost – who operated between Thailand, Spain and Dubai and was currently believed to be in Dubai.
According to Ms Martin, Kennedy became furious over Mr Cahalane's accumulating debt and staged an attempted kidnapping on 19th January 2025 before organising the fatal attack.
Ms Martin said that Mr Cahalane had been able to speak to police from his hospital bed before he died from his injuries and told them that he had built up the debts after one of his junior drug dealers had run off without paying him.
He also said that he had lost more of the money through gambling.
Ms Martin said: “He said that he knew that the man behind the attack on him was called Ryan Kennedy, who had the nickname Frost.”
Ms Martin said that Mr Cahalane had split “acrimoniously” with his ex-wife, Wilson, by 2025, and she became Mr Kennedy’s “go-to contact in Plymouth to try to put pressure on Danny to pay up, and then, to get information about Danny’s whereabouts”.
She added: “Paris Wilson was seemingly happy to give up all that information on the understanding Frost would make her wealthy.”
"Extremely challenging"
Speaking after his death, Mr Cahalane’s family said in a tribute: “Danny was an outstanding father and son.”
Devon and Cornwall Police Detective Inspector Rachel Blanchard said: “The fatal attack on Danny, and the incident in Oreston, were both organised with the assistance of someone who knew him well.
“This was an extremely challenging investigation, with the evidence revealing a sophisticated and wide-reaching organised crime network operating in Plymouth, London and beyond.”