Drug Lord's Alleged Threats Revealed in Acid Attack Murder Trial
Winchester Crown Court has heard harrowing details of alleged threats made by a drug boss to a father-of-two who later died following a brutal acid attack. The trial involves ten defendants from London and Plymouth, with seven facing murder charges.
Chilling Message Exchange Before Attack
The court was presented with a series of recovered text messages between 38-year-old Danny Cahalane and drug boss Ryan Kennedy, also known as "Frost". Prosecutors revealed that in the weeks leading up to the February 21, 2025 attack at Cahalane's Plymouth home, Kennedy allegedly sent increasingly violent threats regarding a substantial drug debt.
Junior prosecutor Richard Posner read aloud messages where Kennedy allegedly warned: "I'm a millionaire. I ain't stopping until your dead." The court heard that Kennedy claimed Cahalane owed him £84,000 and had damaged his relationships within the drug trade hierarchy.
Escalating Violence and Specific Threats
Messages presented to the jury showed the threats becoming more specific and violent as January 2025 progressed. On January 16, Kennedy allegedly wrote: "Your gonna die. F*** off." The following day, he reportedly added: "I'm gonna give them extra 40k to come and take your eyes out your head."
Most disturbingly, on January 19 - minutes after an alleged kidnapping incident in The Quay, Oreston - Kennedy allegedly threatened: "Mate I'm telling they gonna burn gaffes down and your gonna die. Your mums house going a light tonight as well. And your girls. And your gonna die."
Background to the Case
The jury heard that Cahalane was a drug dealer in Plymouth who owed money to someone higher in the command chain. Despite Cahalane's repeated assurances that he would repay the debt, the threats continued unabated. The court was told that at one point, Kennedy was so enraged by the unpaid debt that he threatened to burn down Cahalane's mother's home and his ex-wife's property with his children inside.
Cahalane, a father of two, died in Bristol hospital on May 3, 2025, nearly three months after the acid attack at his Lipson Road home in Plymouth. From his hospital bed, he reportedly told police he was so financially strained he couldn't afford his rent.
The Defendants and Charges
Ten defendants are currently on trial:
- Seven men from London and three women from Plymouth face various charges
- Seven defendants are accused of murder with an alternative charge of manslaughter
- Five face charges of attempted kidnapping and attempted grievous bodily harm
The accused include Paris Wilson, 35, Jude Hill, 43, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, and Brian Kalemba, 23. Additional defendants Jean Mukuna, 23, and Arrone Mukuna, 25, both from Camden, London, face kidnapping-related charges.
All ten defendants deny the charges against them. The court was shown computer-generated images depicting the severe injuries Cahalane sustained from the acid attack. The trial continues with further evidence expected to be presented in the coming days.
