A woman was shot dead when she opened the door of a flat in south Wales as part of a violent turf war between rival drug gangs, a court heard. Joanne Penney, 40, was killed at almost point blank range in the chest on March 9 this year in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Six people are standing trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of her murder. Marcus Huntley, 21; Kristina Ginova, 21; Joshua Gordon, 27; Tony Porter, 68; Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40; and Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, all deny the charges.
Gang rivalry escalation
The prosecution told the jury the alleged motive was a clash between two rival drug gangs operating in Talbot Green. One group was headed by Joshua Gordon, known as Rico or Reece, whilst the other was led by Daniel "Jimmy" Joseph.
Jonathan Rees KC, prosecuting, said Gordon was involved with his girlfriend Ginova in serious drug trafficking based in Leicester but was expanding into south Wales. The expansion into Talbot Green "had not been taken well" by Joseph's rival group, which also operated in the area.
The court heard that on two occasions before March 9, Joseph and his associates had confronted and humiliated members of Gordon's group in the Talbot Green area. This escalating tension allegedly set the stage for the fatal shooting.
The shooting sequence
On the night of the shooting, Gordon, Huntley, Mills-Smith and Quailey-Dashper were driven to Talbot Green by Porter. Gordon and Porter remained in the car whilst the others walked to the door of the flat, which was linked to the drug trade.
Rees told the court: "Miss Quailey-Dashper knocked the front door and then retreated while Mr Huntley, who was standing alongside Mr Mills-Smith, leaned forward and immediately shot at the person that opened the door." Penney "barely managed to stagger back to the living room of the address before falling to the floor and dying moments later."
Meanwhile, Ginova had allegedly waited at a Cardiff fast food restaurant with Gordon's mobile phone during the shooting.
Joint responsibility claim
The prosecution argues all six defendants are jointly responsible for the murder despite Huntley allegedly pulling the trigger. Rees said: "They each played their part in the death of Joanna Penney - knowing that they were acting to bring about, or assisting or encouraging others to bring about, at least really serious injury to another person."
The prosecutor emphasised that whilst "the trigger may have been pulled by Marcus Huntley", each defendant played a role in the planned attack. Penney was not specifically targeted but the plan was to shoot someone at the address linked to the drug trade.
Emergency response
Emergency services were called to the address by Jade Williams shortly after 6pm following reports a woman had been shot. Police found Penney on the living room floor with a single gunshot wound to the chest and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard the property was the home of Katie Summers and had a history associated with drug use. Summers' brother was at the address with Williams when the shooting occurred.
Legal proceedings
Gordon, Quailey-Dashper, Ginova and Porter also deny a second charge of participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group between March 2024 and March 2025. Huntley and Mills-Smith have pleaded guilty to that charge.
The trial continues at Cardiff Crown Court.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
