Paris Wilson, 35, has been found guilty of manslaughter and kidnap but not murder, after helping orchestrate a deadly acid attack on her ex-husband
13:18, 14 May 2026Updated 17:34, 14 May 2026
Danny Cahalane and Paris Wilson(Image: Facebook)
A woman who helped orchestrate a deadly acid attack on her ex-husband has been found guilty of manslaughter and attempted kidnap.
Paris Wilson, 35, from Plymouth, was convicted of the two charges but cleared of murder by jurors at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday. Danny Cahalane was attacked with sulphuric acid at his home in Lipson Road, Plymouth, on February 21, 2025. The 38-year-old died in hospital from his injuries on May 3 last year.
Following an 18-week trial, the jury has found Wilson guilty of manslaughter over Mr Cahalane’s death and attempted kidnap in connection with an earlier incident.
Paris Wilson appearing at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on April 24, 2025(Image: Plymouth Live / BPM Media)
The court heard Wilson, a former criminal justice worker, had told Mr Cahalane: “I hope you and your butters girl both end up with acid in your faces” just four days before the attack.
Jurors were told two men burst into Mr Cahalane’s home in the middle of the night and doused him with sulphuric acid.
Mr Cahalane, who was a personal trainer and drug dealer, owed £120,000 to a drugs kingpin known as Frost – real name Ryan Kennedy – who is believed to be based in Dubai.
Prosecutor Joanna Martin KC told the jury Wilson was the “go-to contact in Plymouth” for Frost, who wanted to track down Mr Cahalane to recover his money and “teach him a significant lesson for his lack of respect”.
Frost was said to be furious over Mr Cahalane’s repeated excuses for failing to repay the money and wanted to ensure he “was not making a fool out of him”.
The jury heard Wilson, who shared a daughter with Mr Cahalane, was Frost’s main source of information about her ex-husband and that this was “on the understanding Frost would make her wealthy”.
Ms Martin said Wilson set up Mr Cahalane because she would receive £2,000 and “because Danny deserved to be hurt”.
Jurors also heard Wilson had previously lured Mr Cahalane to her home in Plymouth, where three men attempted to kidnap him the month before the attack.
Wilson denied knowing the attack would take place(Image: Facebook)
While being treated in hospital for the acid attack, Mr Cahalane told detectives that two men armed with knives and a screwdriver doused him in acid during a six-and-a-half-minute attack while his young daughter slept nearby.
The attackers – Israel Augustus, 26, and a second man who has yet to face trial – fled through the back of the house before driving off in a stolen car.
Giving evidence, Wilson admitted the “acid in your faces” comment was a “horrible thing to say”, particularly after what happened to Mr Cahalane four days later. However, she told the court: “I was not party to it being enacted.”
She claimed she had previously heard similar threats from Frost, including one in which he spoke about “melting Danny’s face among other things”.
Wilson denied Mr Cahalane’s claim that she was “materialistic and money driven” and also rejected the prosecution’s claim that she “was making this up as you go along”. She said: “Money from Frost was secondary to this. I don’t manipulate things. I spoke spitefully but I don’t act spitefully.”
Wilson’s lawyers accepted she knew Mr Cahalane had been involved in drug supply and that Frost had contacted her in November 2024 about the drugs debt, but said she had no knowledge of the acid attack.
Wilson claimed she only learned of the attack when police arrived at her home shortly afterwards.
Mr Cahalane and Frost grew up together on a south-east London council estate, where they became involved in drug dealing, with Frost acting as the boss and Mr Cahalane his contact in Plymouth.
Mr Cahalane had claimed a man lower down in the chain fled to New Zealand without paying, and admitted he had “gambled with the profits”.
The court heard Mr Cahalane had “stalled and lied” to Frost, who became “increasingly incensed and agitated”. Wilson told police she had tried to act as a “mediator” in the dispute.
She claimed she had not provided Frost with Mr Cahalane’s home address after being promised a “nice drink” by him, adding: “I didn’t want Dan hurt and I would never facilitate that.”
Six of nine people on trial were accused of Mr Cahalane’s murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. They were:
Paris Wilson, 35, of The Quay, PlymouthDanny Cahalane’s former partner’s sister Jude Hill, 43, of Wantage Gardens, PlymouthAbdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, LondonRamarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of Islington, LondonIsrael Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, LondonIsanah Sungum, 22, of Edmonton, London
Five defendants were charged with the attempted kidnapping of Mr Cahalane on January 19 2025, at The Quay in Oreston, Plymouth. They were:
AdedojaBakas-SitholeWilsonJean Mukuna, 23, of Camden, LondonArrone Mukuna, 25, of Camden, London
Eight of the defendants – including Brian Kalemba, 23, from London, but excluding Jude Hill – were charged with participating in criminal activities of an organised crime group, namely the supply of drugs and enforcement of drug debts, in which Ryan Kennedy – also known as Frost – played a leading role. All nine denied the charges.
Here is the full list of verdicts on relation to the case:
ManslaughterBakas Sithole was found guilty of manslaughter by an 11–1 majorityWilson was found guilty unanimouslySungum and Hill were found not guiltyMurderAdedoja was found guilty of murder by an 11–1 majorityAugustus was found guilty unanimouslyBakas-Sithole, Wilson, Sungum and Hill were found not guiltyAttempted kidnapBakas-Sithole, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna were all found guilty unanimouslyAdedoja was found not guiltyOther chargesSungum was found guilty of participating in the activities of an organised crime groupKalemba was cleared of the same charge and will be releasedHill was cleared of murder and manslaughter, but has admitted to other offences and will be sentenced at a later date
The judge, Ms Justice Norton, said she will sentence those guilty of murder, manslaughter and attempted kidnap next month.