Two Men Jailed for Life Over £120,000 Drug Debt Acid Murder of Plymouth Father

WINCHESTER CROWN COURT — Two men have been handed mandatory life sentences for the calculated and barbaric acid attack murder of 38-year-old Plymouth father Danny Cahalane, following an 18-week trial that dismantled a wide-reaching organised crime group.

Israel Augustus, 27, and Abdul-Rasheed Adedoja, 23, were convicted of murder and jailed for life, with minimum terms set at 30 and 31 years respectively. The court heard that the fatal assault was the culmination of an escalating campaign of violence and intimidation directed by an overseas crime boss over a £120,000 drug debt.

The victim’s ex-wife, 35-year-old Paris Wilson, was also jailed for nine years after being found guilty of manslaughter and attempted kidnapping, having provided the gang with vital information on her ex-husband’s whereabouts as an act of revenge and for financial gain.

The Fatal Attack and Dying Declarations

The fatal incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, 21 February 2025. The court was told that a stolen vehicle displaying cloned number plates was driven to Mr Cahalane’s home on Lipson Road, Plymouth, before being reversed into a nearby alleyway.

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Augustus and a second, unidentified man approached the property, broke in, and launched a violent assault using weapons. Despite Mr Cahalane successfully fighting off his attackers during the initial struggle, the second man retrieved a cup of sulphuric acid and threw it entirely over him.

The corrosive substance caused catastrophic and extensive injuries. Mr Cahalane was rushed to the hospital, where he survived for 10 weeks while being treated for severe burns, before ultimately passing away on 3 May 2025.

Crucially, before his death, Mr Cahalane was able to provide police officers with a detailed, first-hand account from his hospital bed. He outlined the exact events of the attack, the identity of those he believed were responsible, and the extensive background of the drug debt, the threats made against him, and a previous attempt to kidnap him.

The £120,000 Debt and the Dubai Crime Boss

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Jurors were presented with a detailed background of the motive, which stemmed from Mr Cahalane’s role managing the Plymouth branch of an illicit drug operation for a crime boss based in Dubai.

The court heard that Mr Cahalane owed the syndicate approximately £120,000. When he became unable to repay the funds—having lost money through gambling, compounded by an associate fleeing to New Zealand—the overseas boss became increasingly enraged.

Demands for the money were repeatedly issued, some facilitated directly through Mr Cahalane's ex-wife, Wilson. When the debt could not be erased, these demands escalated into explicit threats against Mr Cahalane's life and the lives of those around him. Wilson, the court was told, actively put pressure on Mr Cahalane on behalf of the drugs boss.

The Failed Oreston Kidnapping

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The acid attack followed a prior, failed kidnapping attempt on Sunday, 19 January 2025. Mr Cahalane had driven to Oreston to drop his daughter off with her mother, Wilson.

After parking his vehicle, he was suddenly approached by three men—identified in court as brothers Arrone and Jean Mukuna, alongside a third individual. Despite the men attempting to reach him, Mr Cahalane managed to get back into his car and escape the scene. Minutes later, he received a chilling text message from the crime boss referencing the "close call" and stating that he would die the next time.

The Conspiracy and Escape

The Crown Prosecution Service outlined a highly coordinated build-up to the February 21 murder, involving stolen cars, foot soldiers, and top-tier organisers. Adedoja and Ramarnee Bakas, 24, were identified as key organisers trusted by the crime boss.

Adedoja maintained constant communication with the Dubai-based boss before, during, and after the attack, while also recruiting individuals and making bank payments to those involved. Bakas provided critical practical support, including arranging the stolen vehicle. On February 18, two men travelled to Plymouth in a stolen car. Prior to the attack, one was replaced by Augustus, who was driven to Plymouth by 23-year-old Isanah Sungum.

Following the acid attack, Augustus—who acted as the getaway driver—and the second attacker fled Plymouth and headed towards London. However, their vehicle broke down on the M4 motorway. The pair proceeded on foot to the nearby Wiltshire village of Grittleton, where they attended local properties and a pub in an attempt to charge their mobile phones and arrange extraction. Eventually, Adedoja and Bakas organised for them to be picked up from Chippenham and returned to London.

Extensive, fast-paced police enquiries involving phone records, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), doorbell footage, and CCTV led to the identification and arrest of the gang. A search of Augustus’s bedroom uncovered a large quantity of various drugs and associated paraphernalia, and his mobile phone contained messages consistent with drug dealing.

Sentencing Remarks

Handing down the sentences, The Honourable Ms Justice Norton stated that Mr Cahalane was targeted because "he owed a significant drug debt," noting that he "suffered horrific injuries after he was doused in acid."

"Danny suffered significant corrosive injuries that had he survived would have been life-changing," the judge remarked. "For most if not all of the weeks between the assault and his death he would have been in significant pain."

Addressing the roles of the defendants, Ms Justice Norton highlighted that Adedoja was in close contact with the drugs boss and instrumental in the plot to cause serious harm. Regarding Wilson, the judge observed that while she did not personally deal drugs, she "was happy to associate with those who did and provide assistance," deliberately giving up Mr Cahalane’s whereabouts to enable the gang access to him for both the January kidnap attempt and the fatal February attack.

Full List of Convictions and Sentences

The 18-week trial and subsequent sentencing hearings resulted in the following custodial terms:

 Israel Augustus (27), of Pulford Road, London: Found guilty of murder. Sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years (minus time served). He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

 Abdul-Rasheed Adedoja (23), of North Circular Road, Neasden, London: Convicted of murder. Sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 31 years (minus time served).

 Paris Wilson (35), of The Quay, Plymouth: Found guilty of manslaughter and attempted kidnap. Sentenced to nine years in prison.

 Ramarnee Bakas (24), of Junction Road, London: Convicted of manslaughter. Sentenced to 10 years in prison.

 Isanah Sungum (23), of Sterling Way, Edmonton, London: Sentenced in May to 26 months for participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

 Jean Mukuna (24), of Werrington Street, London: Jailed in May for 52 months for attempted kidnap, having previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply drugs.

 Arrone Mukuna (25), of Werrington Street, London: Sentenced in May to 16 months for attempted kidnap.

 Jude Hill (44), of Wantage Gardens, Plymouth: Cleared of any involvement in Mr Cahalane’s killing, but jailed in May for 32 months for being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs from Thailand to the UK.

 Two further defendants were acquitted either during or at the conclusion of the trial. A separate defendant, Kelvin Asante, is separately charged with murder and will be tried at a later date.

Official Statements

Following the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Rachael Bentley of the Major Crime Investigation Team described the investigation as dynamic and challenging, directly tackling a wide-reaching organised crime group.

"First and foremost, our thoughts remain with Danny’s family and friends who have lost a father, son and loved one," Det Supt Bentley said. "Danny was just 38 when he died and should have had many years ahead of him to look forward to. His family have handled themselves with dignity throughout proceedings and our thoughts remain with them going forward."

She added: "This was a particularly barbaric attack on a man in his own home – a place he should have been safe. Despite for a time successfully fighting off his attackers, Danny must have been terrified. Acid attacks remain rare in Devon and Cornwall but are a particularly cowardly and devastating means of violence. Danny’s killing goes way beyond the two individuals that attended his home on 21 February 2025. It involved numerous individuals based in Plymouth, London and abroad who performed various roles in the planning, execution and events following the attack."

Laura Burgess, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, emphasised the importance of the victim's dying declarations.

"This was an exceptionally complex case involving significant quantities of phone, digital and CCTV evidence, and required close collaboration with the police investigative team to build the strongest possible case for presentation to the jury," Burgess stated. "Danny’s own words, shared with police while hospital staff did their best to try to save him, were key to securing the conviction of his killers. The jury carefully considered all of the evidence presented to them and returned their verdicts after a lengthy trial. Our thoughts remain with Danny Cahalane’s family and friends who have had to endure the devastating consequences of this crime."