Six jailed for life for 'senseless' murder of innocent woman

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Six jailed for life for 'senseless' murder of innocent womanImage source, Family handoutImage caption, Joanne Penney was shot through her heart on the doorstep of the house she was staying inByTelor Iwan, Wales and David Grundy, Reporting fromCardiff Crown CourtPublished45 minutes agoSix people have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of an innocent woman who was shot as part of a feud between rival drug gangs. Joanne Penney was staying with friends at a house in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in March 2025 when she answered a knock on the door. Drug dealer Marcus Huntley, 22, pulled the trigger of the gun which had been delivered to him from Leicester to carry out a revenge attack.

Huntley, along with five others, were all convicted of murder after two lengthy trials at Cardiff Crown Court. Sentencing them, Mr Justice Fordham said Penney's life was "senselessly taken" as an "innocent victim in a drugs war". Jordan Mills-Smith, 34, from Cardiff, Leicester trio Joshua Gordon 28, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, and Kristina Ginova, 22, along with drug gang boss Renaldo Baptiste, who ordered the attack from a prison cell, were found guilty of Penney's murder as part of the drugs turf war.

The Details

Image caption, Joanne Penney answered a knock on the door of 10 Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, shortly before 18:00 on 9 March and was shot through her heartBoth trials heard how the two rival drug gangs were involved in a turf war centred around Talbot Green and the address at Llys Illtyd where the shooting happened. Weeks before the murder Huntley and Mills-Smith, working on behalf of Leicester drug boss Gordon, had placed a drug dealer at 10 Llys Illtyd, who was beaten and humiliated by a member of a rival drug gang. Huntley and Gordon were said to have discussed a reprisal attack and a gun, along with ammunition, was sourced from the criminal underworld in Leicester and sent to Cardiff.

Following the shooting Huntley buried the gun in a park in Cardiff before fleeing the city. Image gallerySkip image galleryImage source, South Wales Police/ CPSImage caption, A video taken by Huntley when he was burying the parcel led police to the exact locationImage source, South Wales Police/ CPSImage caption, The parcel was buried in woodland near a primary schoolImage source, South Wales Police/ CPSImage caption, The parcel also contained spare bullets and plastic gloves - all linked to Huntley and Mills-Smith1 of 3 Previous image Next imageSlide 1 of 3 , A muddy path in a leafy woodland with small, numbered yellow markers laid by forensics , A video taken by Huntley when he was burying the parcel led police to the exact locationEnd of image galleryMills-Smith also fled to Suffolk but the police closed in on all six. Within days they were all arrested, with Huntley stopped in a dramatic swoop by police on a National Express coach.

All six have been sentenced to life in prison.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.