Woman 'shot dead as part of drug gang turf war' - trial

Marcus Huntley, Tony Porter, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, Jordan Mills-Smith and Joshua Gordon all deny the charges

A woman was shot dead when a turf war between rival drugs gangs turned violent, a court heard.

Joanne Penney was fatally wounded as she opened the door at Llys Illtyd flats in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 9 March.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC told Cardiff Crown Court the 40-year-old was "instantly shot to the heart with a single bullet from a handgun at close range".

She then "staggered back" into the living room and fell to the floor where she died moments later, he said.

Joshua Gordon, 27, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, Kristina Ginova, 21, and Tony Porter, 68, all from Leicester, and Marcus Huntley, 21, Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, both from Cardiff, all deny murder.

Mr Gordon, Ms Quailey-Dashper, Ms Ginova, and Mr Porter also deny participating in the activities of an organised crime gang.

Joanne Penney died after being shot at a block of flats in Talbot Green on 9 March

The jury was told Ms Penney was shot as a result of a "clash of organised crime groups" (OCG) dealing drugs in the south Wales area.

The court has heard a gang known as the "Rico OCG", headed by Mr Gordon was involved in "serious drug trafficking" in the Leicester area and had recently started selling in south Wales.

Mr Rees said the arrival of the group had not been taken well by a rival gang already operating in the area who had, on two occasions, "confronted and humiliated" members of the Rico OCG in the Talbot Green area.

Following those incidents, the court was told, members of the Rico OCG discussed obtaining a gun and ammunition to "send a message to their rivals".

Mr Rees said Mr Gordon and other members of his gang drove in a convoy of two vehicles from Leicester to Cardiff.

He told the court Mr Gordon remained in a car while Mr Huntley, Mr Mills-Smith and Ms Quailey-Dashper approached and knocked on the door of the flat.

Converted starter pistol

Mr Rees said Mr Huntley then "immediately shot at the person" in the hallway of the property.

The prosecutor said while "the trigger may have been pulled by Huntley", all the defendants were "jointly responsible for her murder" by "knowing that they were acting to bring about, or encouraging to bring about, or assisting, encouraging others to bring about, at least really serious injury to another person".

The court heard police found Ms Penney on the living room floor with a single gunshot wound to the left side of her chest.

Attempts to revive her failed and she died at the scene.

The court heard the house was associated with drug abuse and it was not Ms Penney's home address.

The jury was told the bullet and its cartridge were recovered by officers who concluded they probably came from a converted starter pistol.

'Gun gesture selfie'

The jury was shown CCTV footage of some of the defendants leaving a car parked at a McDonald's restaurant before making their way through woodland and approaching Llys Illtyd.

Mr Rees said analysis of the images showed Ms Penney was 236cm (92in) from the muzzle of the gun when it was fired.

The jury was also shown a selfie taken by Mr Huntley 21 minutes after Ms Penney was declared dead, where the prosecution described him as "making a gun gesture with his fingers and thumb".

The court heard Mr Huntley shaved his head the following day and was caught on CCTV taking a train to Leicester.

The jury also saw messages he exchanged on Snapchat with someone in which he described Ms Penney as a "crackhead" and attempted to justify what he had done, the prosecution said.

He also messaged someone else, saying he needed to get to back Cardiff to get his passport before travelling to Thailand.

The jury was told the defendants were arrested in the following days in Leicester, Suffolk and on a National Express Coach on its way to Cardiff.

The trial, which is listed for up to nine weeks, continues.