Murder suspect says plan was 'to steal drugs' not kill

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

A drug dealer on trial for the murder of a woman who was shot dead in Talbot Green has told a jury he thought the plan was "to steal the drugs" - not to carry out any violence.

Joshua Gordon, 27, from Leicester, is one of five people on trial at Cardiff Crown Court - all of whom deny the charges against them.

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

Giving evidence, Mr Gordon said his "heart breaks" for Ms Penney and her family: "I wouldn't wish it on anyone," he told the jury.

The court heard Mr Gordon grew up in London, before moving to Leicester in 2019 where he met a number of his co-defendants.

He admitted selling drugs, telling the court he began as a "low-level" drug dealer but later sold larger quantities across different urban areas including Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry and Nottingham.

The jury heard he had started taking cannabis in 2020 and "sometimes indulged" in cocaine.

When asked about the events of 9 March this year, Mr Gordon said he had sent packages of drugs to Wales on four occasions earlier in the year, but that the day of the shooting was the first time he had travelled to Cardiff.

He acknowledged was in the car with co-defendants, Tony Porter, Melissa Quailey-Dashper and Jordan Mills-Smith, as they drove to Talbot Green on 9 March - but said he thought the intention was just to steal drugs.

Marcus Huntley, who has admitted murder, was also in the car at the time, but Mr Gordon told the court he did not know Huntley was carrying a gun.

Asked by his defence barrister Talbir Singh KC what the plan was that night, he said "to steal the drugs".

Joshua Gordon is one of five people on trial at Cardiff Crown Court for the murder of Joanne Penney

When asked had he ever held a live, loaded gun, Mr Gordon denied it, but said he had seen "imitation ones" while operating in the drugs world.

He added that he had "never" spoken to Mr Huntley about a shotgun, or discussed purchasing one with him.

Mr Gordon also denied participating in the activities of an organised crime gang (OCG), telling the jury that his drug dealing was not confined to one area, and therefore he is "not OCG in Wales".

The court heard Mr Gordon had one previous conviction - for possessing a knife, relating to an incident in 2022 when he was found carrying Stanley knife blades.

The jury was also shown screenshots of quotes found on Mr Gordon's phone a few weeks before the shooting, including: "Sometimes you have to kill a fly with a sledgehammer and it's not just about that fly, but also about the other ones watching".

Mr Gordon and co-defendants Tony Porter, 68, 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.

The trial continues.