The final day of the sentencing hearing for six people convicted of the murder of Joanne Penney began on Wednesday, with Mr Justice Fordham delivering his sentencing remarks. The 40-year-old was shot at point blank range on March 9, 2025, at a property in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green. The bullet penetrated her heart and left lung, lodging in her chest. She was pronounced dead at 6.10pm.
Defendants and Their Roles
Marcus Huntley, 21, pleaded guilty to murder and was the trigger man. Jordan Mills-Smith, 34, Joshua Gordon, 28, Kristina Ginova, 22, and Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, were found guilty of murder. Renaldo Baptiste, 39, already serving a life sentence for a separate murder, was convicted of arranging Ms Penney's murder from his prison cell. He had been sentenced to a minimum of 25 years for killing a man in Leicester.
Background of the Killing
The court heard the murder stemmed from a clash between rival organised crime groups. Joshua Gordon led the "Rico OCG." His expansion into South Wales, particularly Talbot Green, was opposed by a rival drug gang led by Daniel Joseph, known as "Jimmy." Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC stated: "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." Following these incidents, Huntley, Gordon, and Baptiste discussed obtaining a firearm and ammunition to "send a message."
Details of the Murder
On the day of the murder, Quailey-Dashper knocked on the front door of 10 Llys Illtyd. Rees said: "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 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."
Sentencing Hearing
On day one, the prosecution detailed each defendant's involvement, and the court heard impact statements from Ms Penney's family. Day two featured defence barristers. On Wednesday, Mr Justice Fordham passed sentence on all six defendants. The public gallery was packed with Ms Penney's family as the defendants were brought into the dock.
