A woman has been sentenced to nine years in prison for her role in a fatal acid attack on her ex-husband. Paris Wilson, 35, was convicted of manslaughter and attempted kidnapping for orchestrating the attack on fitness instructor Danny Cahalane.
Prosecutors stated that Wilson provided information about Cahalane's whereabouts to a drug kingpin named Ryan Kennedy, known as "Frost," to whom Cahalane owed £120,000. The corrosive fluid used in the attack severely injured Cahalane, and he died ten weeks later in February 2025. Jurors heard that Wilson was motivated by greed and possibly revenge, accepting a few thousand pounds and a holiday in Turkey for her involvement.
During the sentencing at Winchester Crown Court, Mrs. Justice Heather Norton described Wilson as a "a key participant in this offence." The judge noted that Wilson knew acid could be used in the attack due to the drug debt and that the assault was planned to occur at Cahalane's home at night. The court heard that Wilson met Cahalane on social media while he was serving a prison sentence for drug dealing. Despite not dealing drugs herself, she was found to have associated with those who did and provided assistance.
Wilson had also been convicted of attempted kidnapping after setting Cahalane up for an ambush the month prior to the fatal attack. The judge stated that the kidnap plan was conceived during child contact arrangements. "In my judgement as trial judge this was clearly a murder for gain," the judge said. "I am satisfied that you (Wilson) knew that this assault was going to take place at (Cahalane's) address at night."
The attack was carried out by a hit squad dispatched by Kennedy from London. Two men, Abdulrasheed Adedoja and Israel Augustus, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with minimum terms of 31 and 30 years, respectively. They were the individuals who threw the acid at Cahalane. Ramarnee Bakas, also convicted of manslaughter, received a ten-year sentence for providing practical support, such as a stolen car.
Family impact statements read in court highlighted the devastating effect of Cahalane's death. His aunt, Jayne Keeper, stated that the impact on the family was immeasurable, with Cahalane's children losing their father. Cahalane's mother, Vivien Cahalane, passed away one day after her son, reportedly due to missed chemotherapy appointments as she stayed by his side in the hospital.
Wilson's defense attorney noted that she had lost her children's childhood and that they would be adults by the time of her release. Wilson, a former business development manager with a degree in political science, has been a model prisoner, undertaking numerous courses and securing a job offer with a construction firm upon her release. She married Cahalane in October 2020, and they separated around June 2022.
Detective Superintendent Rachael Bentley of Devon and Cornwall Police called the attack "particularly barbaric" and a "cowardly and devastating means of violence."