A 23 year old Nigerian man has been convicted of the murder of Danny Cahalane, who died after a sulphuric acid attack at his home in Plymouth.
Kelvin Asante was found guilty of murder and of attempted kidnapping by a jury at Winchester Crown Court on 12 November. The verdict follows an earlier trial in May 2026, in which two other men were convicted of murder and a man and a woman were convicted of manslaughter.
Danny Cahalane was attacked at his address on Lipson Road on 21 February 2025. Two men entered the property and threw sulphuric acid over him, causing catastrophic injuries. He died in hospital ten weeks later.
Asante left the United Kingdom for Thailand immediately after the attack. He returned two days before the trial of his fellow defendants began. Police had been told through international channels that he was coming back and arrested him at Heathrow airport. He carried no luggage and had no phone with him.
Laura Burgess of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Kelvin Asante played a leading role in a sustained and calculated campaign against Danny Cahalane, culminating in an attack of pure brutality. He helped plan the attack and, when the moment came, threw sulphuric acid at Danny multiple times.
“Asante then fled the country, hoping to escape justice. We worked closely with the police investigative team to build the case and make sure he was held to account.
“Four of the other defendants have already been convicted for their part in Danny’s death and the events leading up to it. Danny’s own words, shared with police while hospital staff did their best to save him, were key to securing the conviction of his killers.
“Our thoughts remain with Danny’s family and friends, who have shown great strength throughout both of these trials.”
Asante will be sentenced on 1 December.
Before he died, Danny Cahalane gave police a detailed account of the attack. He identified those he believed were responsible and said the motive was a drug debt he owed.
Forensic evidence linked Asante to the attack, and CCTV footage tracked his movements in Plymouth and during the subsequent escape. The court heard that he helped plan the assault, which was carried out at the request of a man who remains overseas and has not yet been brought to justice.
Asante travelled to Plymouth and broke into the house with Israel Augustus. He threw sulphuric acid at Danny Cahalane. The two men left the address, then Asante returned and threw acid at him a second time before they fled the city and travelled back to London.
Danny Cahalane also told police of an earlier incident in January 2025, when three men approached him while he was in his car. Asante was convicted of attempted kidnapping in relation to that event.
By John James
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