Murder-accused 'paid £120' to drive to fatal shooting

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

A man jointly accused of murdering a woman received £120 to drive to a town where she was shot dead, a court has heard.

Joanne Penney, 40, was shot dead on 9 March as she opened the door of a flat at Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in a killing allegedly linked to a turf war between rival drug gangs.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Tony Porter, 68, from Leicester, say in his police interview he was given £100 to drive to Cardiff by co-defendant Joshua Gordon, where he picked up two men to see "another friend" in Talbot Green.

In the interview, Mr Porter described Mr Gordon, who he called Reece, as "a massive drug dealer".

He added Mr Gordon had "blokes driving for him" and was "a nice lad, not nasty", the court heard on Tuesday.

Mr Porter and Mr Gordon, 27, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, Kristina Ginova, 21, all from Leicester, and Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, 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.

Marcus Huntley, 21, from St Mellons, Cardiff, has already admitted murder, with his DNA identified on the weapon and gloves.

Marcus Huntley has admitted murder, while Tony Porter, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, Jordan Mills-Smith and Joshua Gordon deny the charges against them

The court heard Mr Porter received £100 in £20 notes to drive to Cardiff with Ms Quailey-Dashper, who was given £40 worth of crack cocaine of which she smoked a small piece on the journey.

When they arrived in Cardiff he picked up Mr Gordon's two friends to "see another friend" in Talbot Green and he was paid £20 to take them there, the court heard.

Mr Porter told the police in his interview he was "frightened" and "didn't know what was going on".

"I had blokes getting in the car," he said.

"I didn't know if they were the main drug dealers, whether they'd put a gun to someone's head or a knife to someone's throat."

When they returned to the car after the alleged shooting, Mr Porter said they were walking briskly.

"I didn't know if they'd pinched some crack and wanted to get away, it looked like they were trying to get away," he said.

Gun was 'tiny'

The court also heard Ms Quailey-Dashper tell police in her interview she thought the gun used in the shooting was fake.

Ms Quailey-Daspher said the gun was "tiny" and it would fit in the palm of her hand.

She said she was aware that there was another gun in the car, as she overheard others saying "put it with the other one", although she had not seen it and added she did not want to look at it, the court heard.

In a subsequent police interview, played to the court, she described the situation following the shooting as "amusing".

When asked by officers if she knew someone had died, she said: "I thought it was a bit amusing... I didn't think anything like this could happen."

She added: "It was amusing how they were panicking."

Asked why she did not help the woman who been shot, Ms Quailey-Daspher said: "If I'd stopped and helped the girl then they could have shot me."

She told officers in the interview "no" when asked if she was responsible for the murder of Ms Penney.

"I got asked to knock the door, I didn't know any of this was going to happen," she said.

The trial continues.