Renaldo Baptiste Orchestrated Talbot Green Murder from Prison Cell Using Covert Phone
Renaldo Baptiste, already serving a minimum 25-year sentence for a previous murder, used a clandestine “prison phone” to facilitate the killing of Joanne Penney in Talbot Green. A jury convicted Baptiste of orchestrating the attack, part of a wider drug-related turf war in South Wales.
The second trial in connection with Penney’s death also found Donna James and Laura John, both from Cardiff, guilty of assisting an offender. Molly Cooper, of Leicester, was convicted of acquiring ammunition. These four convictions bring the total number of individuals found guilty in connection with Penney’s murder to 11.
Penney died after being shot by Cardiff drug dealer Marcus Huntley. Huntley, accompanied by Jordan Mills-Smith and Melissa Quailey-Dashper, travelled to Talbot Green to execute a revenge attack. This operation stemmed from a territorial dispute between rival organised crime groups (OCGs) selling drugs in the area. Huntley had previously admitted his guilt, while Mills-Smith, Quailey-Dashper, and Joshua Gordon were convicted in an earlier trial.
Baptiste admitted to jurors his role as a “middleman” within the Rico OCG, sourcing drugs for Huntley and Mills-Smith. He further conceded his involvement in supplying drugs from prison via his illicit phone. Messages between Huntley and Baptiste discussed the sale of a .38 Smith & Wesson pistol and “10 sweets”—slang for bullets—with Huntley specifying “Leg shots only” and Baptiste responding with a laughing emoji. Baptiste’s defence claimed “leg shot” referred to a quantity of cocaine, denying knowledge of the handgun or its arrangement.
Following the shooting, frantic WhatsApp calls involving the group spanned over four hours, suggesting attempts to coordinate responses. Huntley later buried the weapon and ammunition in a park near his Cardiff home before travelling to Leicester, where he was arrested. Mills-Smith fled to Suffolk, assisted by his mother, Donna James, and girlfriend, Laura John, who facilitated his travel. Both women denied assisting an offender, despite phone records and messages confirming their involvement in purchasing tickets and arranging transport for Mills-Smith.
High levels of Molly Cooper’s DNA were found on the ammunition used in the shooting, despite her denial of ever handling the bullets. A forensic expert testified that it was at least a billion times more likely than not that the DNA belonged to Cooper. Police recovered 16 modified blank cartridges matching the murder weapon, buried in Heritage Park, St Mellons. Two spent cartridges, also matching, were found at the planning location of the revenge attack in Bryn Celyn, Pentwyn.
The 11 convicted individuals, including Huntley, Mills-Smith, Quailey-Dashper, Gordon, and those from the second trial, are scheduled for sentencing next month at Cardiff Crown Court. Tony Porter, Callum Kelleher, and Sai Manne had previously pleaded guilty to participating in an organised crime group, with Porter already sentenced for his OCG membership.
