Woman's death linked to drug gang turf war, murder trial hears

A woman was shot dead when a turf war between rival gangs turned violent, a court has been told.

Joanne Penney, 40, was shot in the chest after being confronted in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Ta in South Wales on 9 March this year. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC told the jury at Cardiff Crown Court that the alleged motive for the shooting was a clash between two rival drug gangs operating in Talbot Green, which is about 10 miles (16km) northwest of the Welsh capital.

"She was instantly shot to the heart with a single bullet fired from a handgun at close range," said Mr Rees. "She barely managed to stagger back to the living room of the address before falling to the floor and dying moments later." Six people: Marcus Huntley, 21; Kristina Ginova, 21; Joshua Gordon, 27; Tony Porter, 68; Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40; and Jordan Mills-Smith, 33; are all standing trial accused of murder.

Mr Rees linked the killing to a clash of rival crime groups: Rico OCG, headed by Joshua Gordon, and another headed by Daniel "Jimmy" Joseph. Rico OCG had been based in Leicester, but later branched out into South Wales, Mr Rees said.

"The expansion by Mr Gordon into South Wales and Talbot Green had not been taken well by a rival group of drug dealers led by Daniel Joseph, who also operated in the area," Mr Rees added. After two earlier occasions during which Daniel Joseph had confronted and humiliated members of the Rico group when they were in the Talbot Green area, Huntley and Gordon discussed obtaining a firearm and ammunition to "send a message" to their rivals.

The jury was told that 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 while the others walked up to the door of the flat, which was linked to the drug trade, the prosecutor said.

Meanwhile, Ginova waited at a Cardiff fast-food restaurant with Gordon's mobile phone. The court was told Quailey-Dashper knocked on the door, while Huntley leaned forward and immediately shot the person who opened the door.

"Miss Quailey-Dashper, Mr Huntley and Mr Mills-Smith ran quickly back to the car where Mr Porter and Mr Gordon waited before Mr Porter drove away," said Mr Rees. "The trigger may have been pulled by Marcus Huntley," he said, but "Joshua Gordon, Marcus Huntley, Jordan Mills-Smith, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, Kristina Ginova and Tony Porter are jointly responsible for her murder," knowing that they were all intending to bring about "at least really serious injury to another person".

He added that Ms Penney was not specifically targeted, but that their plan was to target "someone at the address". Emergency services were called to the address by Jade Williams, who was at the fast-food restaurant, shortly after 6pm that evening, following a report that a woman had been shot.

Police found Ms Penney on the floor of the living room, with a single gunshot wound to the chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard the property, which was the home address of Katie Summers, had a history associated with drug use, but was not Ms Penney's home address. Huntley, Ginova, Gordon, Porter, Quailey-Dashper and Mills-Smith all deny charges of murder.

Gordon, Quailey-Dashper, Ginova, and Porter deny a second charge of participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group between March 2024 and March 2025, while Huntley and Mills-Smith have pleaded guilty to that charge. The trial continues..