A mother sobbed as she was today convicted of killing her ex-husband in a doorstep acid attack that she orchestrated with a crime boss and his gang of hitmen for £2,000.
Danny Cahalane was attacked by two men at his home in Plymouth, Devon, last February.
The fitness instructor was the target of the doorstep acid attack over a £120,000 debt after he gambled away a drug kingpin’s money. He died from his injuries 10 weeks later.
His ex-wife Paris Wilson, 35, has been found guilty of manslaughter following an eight-week trial – but was cleared of murder.
Danny’s family said after her conviction today that they had been ‘broken’ by his death and revealed that his mother died 24 hours after he passed away on May 3, 2025.
Prosecutor Jo Martin said Wilson had helped orchestrate the acid attack in exchange for ‘a couple of grand’ and because she thought he ‘deserved’ to get hurt.
Her victim was the target of the doorstep acid attack over a £120,000 debt after he gambled away a drug kingpin’s money.
She was accused of setting up the hit on the father of her child.
Paris Wilson, 35, was today convicted of killing her ex-husband Danny Cahalane, 38, who died in a doorstep acid attack
Danny Cahalane (pictured) was murdered in a doorstep acid attack over his £120,000 debt after he gambled away a drug kingpin’s money
Wilson’s fellow defendant Ramarnee Baka was also convicted of manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court.
The jury returned guilty verdicts for murder on Abdulrasheed Adedoja and Israel Augustus, both from London.
Wilson, who shared a child with Mr Cahalane, was accused of setting Mr Cahalane up to be ambushed.
She did this by feeding information on his whereabouts to a drugs kingpin who Mr Cahalane owed money to.
Wilson was also convicted of attempted kidnap after she set him up to be ambushed the month before the fatal attack.
But she was cleared of murder.
The business development worker burst into tears at Winchester Crown Court as she was found not guilty of murder but flickered her eye lashes as the manslaughter verdict was read out.
Jurors deliberated for 40 hours and 45 minutes. Wilson was convicted unanimously on all counts.
Two men were today convicted for murder following the acid attack.
Danny Cahalane’s family said in a statement: ‘Today’s verdict brings a sense of justice, but it does not bring Danny back.
‘This crime has devastated our family, it has torn lives apart and left a lasting impact that cannot be undone.
‘Danny was not just a victim. He was a son, a father and a loved on. His children will grow up without him and that is a loss that will never truly heal.
‘Danny’s mum, who sadly passed away the day after him, would have been incredibly proud to see this outcome. We take some comfort in believing she would be standing beside us today, supporting the fight for justice.
‘No family should ever have to endure what we have been through. Crimes like this are cruel, senseless and leave behind a ripple effect of pain that stretches far beyond the individual targeted.
‘The consequences are not limited to those directly involved, they are carried by families, children and loved ones for a lifetime.
‘To those who are involved in or considering involvement in organised crime, particularly drug related activity, I would say this: The reality is not what you think.
‘It does not bring respect or success. It brings destructions, loss and irreversible harm.
‘Lives are ruined, families are broken and the consequences are permanent.
‘Our focus now is on rebuilding our lives and supporting Danny’s children, ensuring they grow up knowing who their father was and how deeply he was loved.’
The court heard that Mr Cahalane was ‘doused in acid’ in his own home in Plymouth, Devon, on February 21 last year and died in hospital from his injuries 10 weeks later, on May 3.
It was heard that drug dealer Mr Cahalane owed £120,000 to Frost, a drugs kingpin whose real name was Ryan Kennedy, after gambling away thousands of pounds of his money.
Wilson fed information on the father of two’s whereabouts to Frost before the attack.
Wilson also told Frost where Mr Cahalane would be before he was ambushed on January 19 2025.
Following the verdict, the Honourable Ms Justice Heather Norton said to jurors: ‘What happens now is we all take a deep breath and then we deal with what is going to happen next. The sentence is unlikely to take place [today].
‘Having spent 18 weeks I imagine that some of you will want to return.
‘Given how long this trial has been if you never to be on a jury again then I will allow it.
‘Can I thank all of you for your incredible dedication to this case. It is really quite awe-inspiring. It is remarkable and I am extremely grateful for this.’
Wilson married Mr Cahalane in October 2020, and the couple split up in around June 2022.
Mr Cahalane was threatened in January 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.
Wilson admitted telling Frost her address and what time Mr Cahalane would arrive at her house in the January incident.
Prosecutor Jo Martin said Wilson helped in exchange for ‘a couple of grand’ and because she thought he ‘deserved’ to get hurt
On January 8, Wilson messaged her mother saying: ‘I’m worried about my karma, but at least nobody but Dan gets hurt, and he did f**k massively with my life…and he deserves it.’
Mr Cahalane, pictured with ex-wife Wilson, was ‘doused in acid’ in his own home in Plymouth
Wilson said during the trial that she didn’t expect Mr Cahalane to receive any more than a punch.
She said: ‘I certainly never foresaw anything more than a punch in the face.
‘A better way to say it was that he would get into a fight.’
She also admitted the pair had a ‘turbulent’ relationship, and said she had heard Frost threaten to ‘melt’ Mr Cahalane.
Weeks before the fatal attack, she texted Mr Cahalane saying ‘I hope you and your butters girl both end up with acid on your faces’.
The term ‘butters’ is a slang word that means ugly.
Wilson insisted she was just being ‘nasty’ and was ‘just relaying’ threats that had been hurled towards Mr Cahalane from Frost.
For the defence, Jennifer Knight previously told the court Wilson would not be willing to ‘sacrifice’ her daughter who was also in the house during the acid attack.
Ms Knight said that Wilson was ‘trying to assert some kind of agency in her situation’ by telling Frost where he was in the January incident.
In total nine people were on trial at Winchester Crown Court.
The others accused of murder were five men from London – Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, Brian Kalemba, 23 and one woman from Plymouth, Jude Hill, 43.
These defendants also pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter against Mr Cahalane.
Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole, Augustus, Wilson, Sungum and Kalemba all denied participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group, along with Jean Mukuna, 23, and Arrone Mukuna, 25, from London.
Adedoja, Bakas-Sithole, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna pleaded not guilty to the attempted kidnap of Mr Cahalane.
Today, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna were all found guilty of attempted kidnap.
Adedoja and Augustus were found guilty of murder while Bakas and Wilson were found guilty of manslaughter.
Sungum was found guilty of participating in criminal activity.
All the other charges were judged to be not guilty. Hill collapsed in her chair when the not guilty verdict was passed.
Sentencing will take place at a later date.
Detective Inspector Rachel Blanchard from Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘This was a cold-blooded and brutal killing of a man in his own home in Plymouth a place where Danny Cahalane was entitled to feel safe.
‘Danny was just 38 years old and loved by his family and friends. It is clear that his death has left a huge void in the lives of those who knew him.
‘Danny’s killing was carefully planned and ruthlessly executed. A plot in which those convicted following this trial played a variety of roles.
‘This was an extremely challenging investigation with the evidence revealing an organised crime network operating in Plymouth, London and beyond.
‘This kind of violence is a clear example of how such criminal organisations operate.’
