Ex-wife of acid attack victim felt 'manipulated'

The ex-wife of a drugs dealer fatally attacked with acid told police she sought to be a "mediator" in a dispute over a debt, a court has heard.

Paris Wilson, 35, told police she had messaged gang boss Ryan Kennedy, known as Frost, with her Plymouth address and a time when Danny Cahalane, 38, was going to be there on 19 January last year, Winchester Crown Court was told.

That morning a failed abduction took place on Cahalane, but Wilson told police she did not want to see her ex-husband hurt and she felt "totally manipulated" by Kennedy, the court heard.

On 21 February Cahalane was attacked with sulphuric acid at his home in Lipson Road, Plymouth. He died of his injuries in hospital on 3 May.

Ten people are on trial accused of offences including murder, manslaughter, attempted kidnapping and being part of a drugs supply gang.

Wilson, who was arrested in March, told police Kennedy had told her on Snapchat Cahalane owed him £120,000, the court heard.

"Frost was saying 'I want to speak to Danny' and that was what led to the arrangement," she told police.

"I said to be at my house and rather than at someone else's house so I could be sort of a mediator almost, or I could at least know what was going on."

She told Kennedy Cahalane would be dropping off their daughter at her Plymouth home on 19 January and gave him her address and parking information.

As Cahalane drove off after dropping his daughter at 10:00 GMT, two men lying in wait tried to open his car door, before he sped off, the court heard.

Wilson said she saw the men approaching Cahalane's car with "malicious intent".

After Cahalane fled, she recalled to police: "I was like 'Oh my god, like what the hell has just happened?'."

According to messages after the incident, which were retrieved from her phone, Cahalane told Wilson: "Paris you know exactly who it was... telling people my address and whereabouts is wild."

Wilson responded: "What are you on about?

"If I wanted to hurt you I'd have done that three years ago. I could set you up with the police easy."

She later told police: "I didn't want Dan hurt and I would never facilitate that."

Kennedy, who police believe had been living in Dubai at the time, had offered her money to reveal Cahalane's Lipson Road address, but she had refused, she told police.

The court heard in messages from Wilson to her mother Kennedy had promised Wilson a "nice drink" by providing Cahalane's address.

Wilson told police she had never given away the address and had never been paid by Kennedy for anything.

It was one of "many willy-nilly conversations" she had with her mother, Wilson told police.

She said the "nice drink" was an offer of help with maintenance payments for her daughter but "there was never any money exchanged and never any money on offer", she said.

A police search of Wilson's bank records showed no payments by Kennedy, the court heard.

"I was super naive and I was totally manipulated by Frost," Wilson told police.

"Someone gave away the address and now my child doesn't have a father and that makes me angry."

Wilson and Jude Hill, 43, of Plymouth, and Israel Augustus, 26, Isanah Sungum, 22, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, Ramarnee Bakas, 23, and Brian Kalemba, 23, all from London, are charged with murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Wilson, Adedoja, Bakas, Augustus, Sungum and Kalemba have also been charged with being part of an organised crime gang, along with Jenna Said, 39, of Plymouth, and Arrone Mukuna, 25, and Jean Mukuna, 23, both from London.

Adedoja, Bakas, Wilson, Jean Mukuna and Arrone Mukuna are all also charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

They all deny the charges and the trial continues.

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