Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, Joshua Gordon, 27, Kristina Ginova, 22, and Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, were found guilty of murdering the 40-year-old, who was shot at point blank range.
Four people have been found guilty of murdering Joanne Penney who was shot in the heart at point blank range with a handgun after opening a door. Her murder was part of a background of “a clash of rival organised crime groups” over drug dealing.
The 40-year-old died after the bullet penetrated her heart and left lung and lodged itself in the rear of her chest. She was pronounced dead at a property in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, at around 6.10pm on March 9 last year.
Marcus Huntley, 21, pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Penney and being the person who pulled the trigger, on the second day of a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here.
Following the conclusion of the trial, which began in October, a jury returned verdicts in respect of the remaining defendants on Friday.
Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, Joshua Gordon, 27, Kristina Ginova, 22, and Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, were found guilty of Joanne Penney’s murder.
Tony Porter, 69, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
Gordon, Ginova, Quailey-Dashper and Porter were found guilty or participating in the activity of an organised crime group, with Mills-Smith and Huntley having already pleaded guilty to the charge.
Opening the case on October 22, prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC “On March 9, 2025, Joanne Penney opened the front door of 10 Llys Illtyd, Green Park, in Talbot Green and was instantly shot to the heart with a single bullet fired from a handgun at close range. She barely managed to stagger back to the living room of the address, before she fell to the floor and died moments later.”
The court heard the background to the killing was a “clash of rival organised crime groups”, one allegedly headed by defendant Joshua Gordon, of the “Rico OCG” and another headed by a person called Daniel, or Jimmy.
Mr Rees said: “Gordon, also known as Rico or Reece, was involved, with his girlfriend, Ginova, in serious drug trafficking.
“Based in Leicester, he had branched out his drug dealing to South Wales. Huntley and Mills-Smith, who were both based in Cardiff, and (another man), worked together with Gordon in the drug trafficking business.
“Quailey-Dashper, and her partner Porter were people that Gordon and Ginova had used to assist them in their drug dealing trade in the Leicester area.”
The court heard the expansion of Gordon’s activities into South Wales, specifically Talbot Green, was “not taken well” by a rival group of drug dealers, lead by Daniel Joseph, known as “Jimmy”.
Mr Rees said: “On two occasions in the lead-up to the murder on March 9, 2025, Jimmy and his men had confronted, and humiliated, members of the ‘Rico’ group when they were in the Talbot Green area.”
In the days following, the court heard Huntley, Gordon and another discussed obtaining a firearm and ammunition to “send a message” to their rivals.
The group joked that they stick to “leg shots only”.
Mr Rees said: “On March 9, 2025, Gordon travelled from Leicester to Cardiff, in a convoy of two vehicles, one driven by Ginova, the other driven by Porter with Quailey-Dashper in the front passenger seat.
“Following a meeting between Gordon, Huntley, Mills-Smith, Ginova and Quailey-Dashper in the address of Mills-Smith’s grandmother, Bryn Celyn in Llanederyn, Gordon accompanied Huntley, Mills-Smith and Quailey-Dashper to Talbot Green, in a car driven by Porter.
“Ginova, meanwhile, took Gordon’s phone to McDonald’s Cardiff Gate, where she bought a meal for two persons, and ensured that Gordon’s phone continued to activate cell sites in the Pentwyn area of Cardiff.
“In fact, Gordon was waiting in the car with Porter in Talbot Green, while Huntley, Mills-Smith and Quailey-Dashper walked up to the front door of 10 Llys Illtyd to carry out the ambush.”
The court heard Quailey-Dashper knocked on the front door of 10 Llys Illtyd.
Mr Rees said: “While Huntley, who was standing next to Mills-Smith, leant forward and immediately shot at the person who opened the door – with a live bullet from a batch of ammunition…
“Quailey-Dashper, Huntley and Mills-Smith then returned quickly, albeit calmly, to the car where Porter and Gordon awaited, before Porter drove back to the address in Bryn Celyn and the parties went their separate ways.
“That night, Gordon, Huntley and Mills-Smith and another spoke at length in a group chat on WhatsApp.”
The prosecutor added: “The trigger may have been pulled by Marcus Huntley, but the prosecution’s case is that each of Joshua Gordon, Marcus Huntley, Jordan Mills-Smith, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, Kristina Ginova and Tony Porter, are jointly responsible for her murder.
“They each played their part in the death of Joanna Penney – knowing that they were acting to bring about, or assisting/encouraging others to bring about, at least really serious injury to another person.”
Mr Justice Fordham KC said he would sentence the five defendants, and Huntley, at a later date.
A court hearing will take place on Friday , February 6, to determine when sentencing will take place.
A second trial is due to take place at the end of March.
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