Three men have been jailed for their roles in the murder of a Plymouth drug dealer who died after a planned sulphuric acid attack carried out to enforce a £120,000 drugs debt. At Winchester Crown Court, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, Israel Augustus and Ramarnee Bakas were sentenced following the death of Danny Cahalane, who suffered catastrophic injuries after being attacked at his home on 21 February 2025. Mr Cahalane died on 3 May 2025, after spending weeks in critical care. The court heard the attack was a carefully planned operation linked to organised criminality and described it as a brutal attempt to enforce an unpaid drug debt.
Planned Attack
Prosecutors said the three men travelled from London to Plymouth as part of a coordinated operation. The attack involved the use of high-strength sulphuric acid, which caused devastating burns, multiple organ failure and irreversible injuries. The court heard the assault had been meticulously planned and executed with military-style precision.
Lead Attacker Jailed for Life
Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, was identified as the principal attacker who carried out the acid assault inside Mr Cahalane’s home. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 31 years. The sentencing judge described his actions as:
“Deliberate, targeted and devastating.”
Second Attacker Also Convicted of Murder
Israel Augustus, 26, was found to have helped force entry to the property and participated in the fatal attack. Investigators relied on CCTV, mobile phone analysis and vehicle tracking evidence to place him alongside Adedoja throughout the operation. He was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years. The judge said Augustus had been:
“Fully committed to the mission and aware of the lethal consequences.”
Third Defendant Jailed for Manslaughter
Ramarnee Bakas, 24, was convicted of manslaughter after the court found he played a key supporting role in the operation. Although he was not inside the property during the acid attack, prosecutors proved he helped transport the attackers, gathered intelligence and was involved in an earlier failed attempt to kidnap Mr Cahalane. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Nationwide Police Investigation
The convictions followed a complex investigation involving coordinated police operations across Plymouth, London and Birmingham. Detectives used:
- CCTV and vehicle tracking.
- Encrypted mobile phone evidence.
- Digital forensic analysis.
- Travel records placing the defendants in Plymouth shortly before the attack.
Police described the arrests as the result of “relentless investigative pressure” following Mr Cahalane’s death.
Judge Condemns “Shocking Brutality”
Sentencing the defendants, Mrs Justice Heather Norton said they had acted as:
“A disciplined unit enforcing a criminal debt with shocking brutality.”
She said the killing had been:
- Premeditated.
- Organised.
- Carried out with the intention of causing maximum suffering.
The three men will now begin lengthy prison sentences for their roles in one of the most shocking acts of organised criminal violence heard before the courts in recent years.
