Six people jailed for total of 157 years for gun murder of woman in Wales
Passing sentence, the judge said: "Joanne Penney was an innocent victim in a drug war".
Last updated 4 hours ago
Six people have been jailed for life for murdering a woman who was shot dead when a turf war between rival gangs turned violent.
Joanne Penney, 40, was shot in the chest at almost point blank range by Marcus Huntley, 21, after she opened the door of a flat she was visiting in South Wales in March last year.
Gunman Huntley was jailed for a minimum of 30 years and 146 days, while 39-year-old co-defendant Renaldo Baptiste – who helped orchestrate the hit from behind bars – was jailed for a minimum of 42 years for his second murder conviction.
Other gang members were also handed life sentences by Mr Justice Fordham at Cardiff Crown Court.
Jordan Mills-Smith, 34, was jailed for at least 27 years, Joshua Gordon, 28, was given a minimum of 32 years, while Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, will spend at least 14 years behind bars and Kristina Ginova, 22, will serve at least 12 years.
Passing sentence, the judge said: “Joanne Penney was an innocent victim in a drug war. She was 40 years old.
“All she did was open a front door at a friend’s house. No period of imprisonment can reflect the value of the life that was taken away by murdering her.”
The judge described how members of Ms Penney’s family had given victim personal statements to the court, describing the impact of her death.
“A future taken away, an entire family shot through the heart when Joanne Penney, the mother, daughter and sister, loved by so many family and friends was so senselessly taken,” he said.
The trial previously heard that the alleged motive for the shooting was a clash between two rival drug gangs operating in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Members of an organised crime group (OCG) headed by Daniel “Jimmy” Joseph had weeks before the shooting humiliated the rival gang led by Gordon, which was moving into Talbot Green from Leicestershire.
On the night of the shooting, Gordon, Huntley, Mills-Smith and Quailey-Dashper were driven to Talbot Green.
Gordon remained in the car while the others walked up to the door of the flat, which was linked to the drugs trade.
Meanwhile, Ginova waited at a Cardiff fast food restaurant with Gordon’s mobile phone.
Jonathan Rees KC, prosecuting, said: “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.
“Miss Quailey-Dashper, Mr Huntley and Mr Mills-Smith ran quickly back to the car.”
Huntley, of Orchard Park, St Mellons, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to murder at the start of the trial.
Ginova, of London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire; Gordon, of London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire; Quailey-Dashper, of Westcotes Drive, Leicester and Mills-Smith, of Bryn Celyn, Pentwyn, Cardiff, were found guilty by a jury.
Tom Crowther KC, representing Huntley, said: “Very few people plead guilty to murder. Even fewer 21-year-olds plead guilty to a murder.
“That means that they will be in jail until their middle fifties or thereabouts. Very few do because the benefit from such a plea is minimal.
“Mr Huntley’s plea does not begin to make amends. It comes nowhere close to making it right, to making up for what he did.
“But I do invite the court to say it is a recognition and an acceptance of the damage he’s done and the hurt he’s caused.”
Peter Joyce KC, representing Quailey-Dashper, said she was addicted to drugs and had led a troubled life.
“There are those who are lucky in life, born with a silver spoon in their mouth,” he said.
“This woman’s life is characterised by precisely the opposite.
“Born into destitution, born into abuse, born into exploitation, born into poverty, born into hopelessness, born into vulnerability, and born into misery.”
Paul Hynes KC, representing Mills-Smith, said he had not been involved in the planning of the murder.
“He was present at the scene, he did not have a weapon,” he said.
“He was a secondary party, perhaps an elevated secondary party, compared to those who did not attend the scene.”
Also found guilty of murder were Gordon, Ginova and Baptiste.
Talbir Singh KC, representing father-of-two Gordon, said: “Joanne Penney was an innocent victim in this tragic case.
“Nothing I say and no sentence passed will of course assuage the pain of those left behind by her loss.”
Ignatius Hughes KC, representing Ginova, said his client had experienced an “incredibly difficult early life”.
He said she had been “in the hands of social services” from the age of 12 and had been “exploited” by others.
“She was just 21 when this happened,” he added. “She is still only 22.”
Bernard Tetlow KC, representing Baptiste, said: “Mr Baptiste has asked me to express his regret and remorse for what happened, because he did not intend that to happen.
“And to the extent he can express regret and remorse, he does.”
Baptiste, of London, was already serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years for the murder of Anand Parmar, who used to work for his drugs supply business.
His sentence for Ms Penney’s murder will run concurrently to the 19 years and 196 days left to serve on the term for Mr Parmar’s death. This means he will be aged 82 when he is eligible to be considered for release.
The defendants were also sentenced for participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
Five other defendants, Sai Raj Manne, 26, Molly Cooper, 33, Callum Kelleher, 37, Laura John, 23, and Donna James, 51, are to be sentenced later for offences connected with the murder.