In the shadow of a police cordon, crowds gathered in a Salford neighbourhood tonight to remember a young mother at the centre of a chilling murder probe.
Perseverance Ncube- known as ‘Percy’ to friends, family and neighbours – died on Friday (November 10) after she was stabbed in front of her children. Tonight (Saturday November 10), her Little Hulton community came together to pay tribute to the 35-year-old, who friends called an ‘angel on earth’.
On Dukesgate Grove – where Ms Ncube lived and sadly died – residents lit candles and laid them in the shape of hearts and the letter ‘P’. On the grass, a handwritten note from the neighbourhood’s children read: “Dear Percy’s family and friends. We are thinking of you. Sending lots of love, from all of Little Hulton’.
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Speaking to the crowd of around 50, friends from Ms Ncube’s church spoke of her ‘true soul’ and ‘peaceful’ nature. “We literally had a real angel living with us,” one said. “Words can’t express how good this woman was. Nothing I say can explain how good she was as a person.”
In an emotional tribute, another described the 35-year-old as the ‘backbone’ of her family and spoke of the agony of those closest to her.
“She went out of her way to make sure she supported us,” she said. “She was so peaceful. When I heard the news yesterday that she was dead I couldn’t break it down in my head. I was just sat there thinking ‘how do I go to bed?’. Percy used to come here and sit with me. How do I explain this to the girls?
“She’s the last person you would think this would happen to. She was loved so dearly.”
Strangers embraced as the neighbourhood held a minute of silence to remember a woman so many had known and loved. They told the M.E.N they were still in shock after the devastating events of the day before.
“You just don’t think something like this will happen on your doorstep,” one said. “We’re a really tight knit community. We just wanted to do something to bring people together.”
A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. In a statement, police said the ‘truly horrific’ attack was believed to be targeted and the suspect known to Ms Ncube.
Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “We are in the early stages of our investigation, and an experienced team of detectives continue to work extremely hard to understand a comprehensive timeline of events that will help us piece together what has happened earlier this morning.
“This was a truly horrific attack on a mother, witnessed by her two young children and we really need the public to come forward and give information to us that may be able to assist our enquiries to find answers for them.
“A man, aged 45, fled the scene but has since been arrested by officers on suspicion of murder and remains in custody for questioning. Our inquiries at present suggest that the victim was known to the suspect and we believe that it was targeted attack.
“We recognise that incidents of this nature will understandably cause worry in our communities in Greater Manchester and to reassure members of the public, additional neighbourhood officers will be in and around the surrounding area over the coming days and anyone with any concerns is encouraged to come and speak to us.
“We urge people who were in the area at the time of the incident to contact us as a matter of urgency as they may have information which is vital to our investigation.
“We are also appealing to any motorists and residents in the area, who may have captured anything that may be of relevance to our investigation on Dashcam, CCTV or doorbell cameras to please contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Greater Manchester Police on 101 quoting log number 236 10/11/2023; or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
