Drug dealer admits murder of woman who was shot dead during gang turf war

A drug dealer is facing life imprisonment after admitting the murder of a woman who was shot dead when a turf war between rival gangs turned violent.

Marcus Huntley, 21, shot dead Joanne Penney, 40, after she opened the door of a flat in south Wales on March 9 this year.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Ms Penney was shot at almost point blank range in the chest with a handgun after being confronted in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

On the second day of the trial, Huntley changed his plea to admit the murder of Ms Penney.

He had previously pleaded guilty to participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group between March 2024 and March 2025.

As the trial had already started, Mr Justice Fordham directed the jury to find Huntley guilty of murder.

The judge remanded Huntley, of Orchard Park, St Mellons, Cardiff, into custody to be sentenced at the conclusion of trial of his co-accused.

“Mr Huntley, you have been convicted by the jury of murder on the basis of your plea to the offence of murder,” the judge said.

“You will be remanded into custody pending sentence in this court and I am not making a decision at the moment when sentencing will take place, but it will be at some stage after this trial has been completed.”

The trial had previously heard that the alleged motive for the shooting was a clash between two rival drug gangs operating in Talbot Green.

Huntley’s co-defendants: Kristina Ginova, 21; Joshua Gordon, 27; Tony Porter, 68; Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40; and Jordan Mills-Smith, 33; continue to stand trial accused of murder.

Jonathan Rees KC, prosecuting, had told the jury: “The background to the killing was a clash of rival organised crime groups. One headed by Joshua Gordon – a group we are calling the Rico OCG – the other headed by Daniel ‘Jimmy’ Joseph.

“Mr Gordon, also known as Rico or Reece, was involved with his girlfriend, Kristina Ginova, in serious drug trafficking based in Leicester but branching out his drug dealing into south Wales.”

The court heard that Huntley, Mills-Smith and another man were also part of the Rico group involved in drug trafficking, while Quailey-Dashper and her partner, Porter, were allegedly involved in the trade in Leicester.

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.

Meanwhile, Ginova waited at a Cardiff fast food restaurant with Gordon’s mobile phone.

“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,” Mr Rees said.

“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.”

Mr Rees 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.”

Two days after the shooting, Huntley exchanged Snapchat messages with a friend saying he was looking at a “long time in jail” because of what happened in Talbot Green if he could not get out of the country, the court heard.

“When she challenged him, he merely shrugged off the murder of Ms Penney, calling her a ‘crackhead’,” Mr Rees said.

The court heard he then sent a further message, describing what had happened to an associate, and saying: “She set up my runner… he got f****** raped, they put a gun in his mouth, they spooned his bum, they done mad shit to him, they f****** terrorised him.”

Ginova, of London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire; Gordon, of London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire; Porter, of Burdet Close, Braunstone Town, Leicestershire; Quailey-Dashper, of Westcotes Drive, Leicester; Mills-Smith, of Bryn Celyn, Pentwyn, Cardiff; 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. Mills-Smith has pleaded guilty to that charge.

The trial continues.