Five people deny murder of woman shot dead in Wales

Five people have pleaded not guilty to murdering a woman who was shot dead in South Wales.

Joanne Penney, 40, was pronounced dead after suffering fatal injuries at an address in Talbot Green on March 9.

On Monday, seven people appeared before Cardiff Crown Court to deny charges in connection with her death.

Joshua Gordon, 27, Marcus Huntley, 20, Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, Kristina Ginova, 21, and Tony Porter, 68, all pleaded not guilty to murder.

Organised crime

Gordon, of Oadby, Leicestershire, and Huntley, from St Mellons, Cardiff, also denied participating in the activities of an organised crime group between March 11 2024 and March 11 this year.

Mills-Smith, from Pentwyn, Cardiff, Ginova, from Oadby, Leicestershire, and Porter, from Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

Sai Raj Manne, 25, of no fixed address, and Molly Cooper, 33, from Leicester, also denied participating in the activities of an organised crime group.

Manne pleaded not guilty to possessing, purchasing or acquiring a firearm, namely an 8mm calibre self-loading pistol modified to enable the discharge of ammunition without legal authority.

Cooper denied possessing, purchasing or acquiring ammunition, namely 16 live 8mm calibre blank pistol cartridges reloaded with improvised projectiles, without having a firearms certificate.

An eighth defendant, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 39, from Leicester, is also charged with Ms Penney’s murder but did not attend court on Monday.

Trial

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, heard that a nine-week trial is due to begin on October 20 this year.

She remanded the defendants in custody ahead of the next hearing in the case.

An inquest into Ms Penney’s death which opened in March was told she died after being shot in the chest at an address in Llys Illtyd, in Talbot Green, causing injuries to her heart and lung.

Emergency services found Ms Penney with serious injuries and she was pronounced dead.

In a tribute issued after her death, Ms Penney’s family said: “We are devastated by the tragic loss of our beloved Joanne. She was a daughter, mother, sister and niece – loved deeply by all who knew her.

“Her kindness, strength and love for her family will never be forgotten.”