A driver accused of murdering a woman who was shot in the chest called his co-accused “dangerous” and told police officers he had been “set up”. He claimed he had no knowledge of any plan to shoot the woman after driving her murderer to the scene, and said he thought they were going there to take crack cocaine.
Joanne Penney, 40, was shot in the chest at close range when she opened the front door of a house in Llys Illtyd in Talbot Green on March 9 this year. She was pronounced dead just moments later.
The prosecution say the killing was part of a “clash” between rival criminal gangs involved in a turf war over drugs. On Thursday, October 23, Marcus Huntley, 21, of Orchard Park, St Mellons, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to murdering Miss Penney during day two of the trial at Cardiff Crown Court. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
Jordan Mills-Smith, 33, of Bryn Celyn, Pentwyn, Cardiff, Joshua Gordon, 27, of London Road, Oadby Leicestershire, Kristina Ginova, 21, of London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, of Cordelia Close, Leicester, and Tony Porter, 68, of Burdet Close, Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, all deny murder.
On Thursday, transcripts were read out from Porter’s police interviews, during which he denied being involved in Ms Penney’s murder or having any prior knowledge of plans to shoot her.
The court previously heard Porter drove his partner Quailey-Dashper and Gordon in his Nissan Note from Leicestershire to Cardiff on March 9. Upon entering a property in Bryn Celyn, he drove Quailey-Dashper, Gordon, Huntley and Mills-Smith to the McDonald’s car park in Talbot Green.
Huntley, Mills-Smith and Quailey-Dashper were seen on CCTV leaving the vehicle and approaching a flat in Llys Illtyd where Ms Penney was shot and killed. Porter and Gordon remained in the car park, and drove away from the scene once their three co-defendants returned to the car.
In police interviews read to the court on Thursday, Porter referred to his co-defendants Gordon, known as Reece, and Ginova, known as K, as “dangerous people”. He also referred to Reece as a “massive drug dealer”.
Porter told officers he thought he was dropping Quailey-Dashper, Huntley and Mills-Smith off at a friend’s house so they “could try some crack”. He added: “I didn’t know none of this was going to happen.”
The defendant later told officers he believed Gordon and Ginova had “masterminded” the shooting. He added: “They knew what was going to happen. I drove to McDonald’s, they got out of the car l, they got back in the car and I don’t know what happened
“Can I say what I thinks happened? I think I’ve been set up. I’m a vulnerable person, I’m a pensioner and every little helps.”
On the drive back from Talbot Green, Porter said the occupants of the car were quiet, and one of the men seemed to be “staring and didn’t move his head”.
Referring to Quailey-Dashper, he said: “She was very quiet, she’s usually chatty and she likes Michael Jackson… Melissa took her black Michael Jackson jacket off and put her dressing gown on after we left the house.”
When asked why he cleaned his car back in Leicestershire, Porter said: “I don’t like my car being dirty.”
He said he first became aware of Ms Penney’s murder when he was arrested on suspicion of her murder, and said he had never heard her name before.
The defendant was also asked if he saw a gun on any of the occupants of the car as he drove to and from Talbot Green.
Porter said: “Do you think I’m stupid? If I knew one of them had a gun I would have ran out of that car and dialled 999.”
The trial continues.
