Bolton man 'already tagged' when he murdered mum-of-two

Obert Moyo, who had moved to Bolton after his release from prison, was still serving part of his sentence on licence when he murdered 35-year-old Perseverance Ncube last November 10.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Moyo broke into Ms Ncube’s home in the early hours, attacked her in her bedroom and chased her down the street, prompting a terrified 999 call.

Prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC said: “She told the police in that 999 call that she knew the man who was chasing her, he was running after her in the street and she was of course begging for help.”

She added: “The children remember their mother calling them to run, run, run, we need to get somewhere, we need to get help.”

The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Ncube, a well-known member of her church in Bolton affectionately known as “Percy”, died after Moyo caught up with her and stabbed her through the heart with a skewer.

Dressed in a plain grey top and trousers, 46-year-old Moyo sat in total silence in the dock with his eyes fixed firmly to the ground as Ms Marshall told the court how that night had unfolded.

Moyo had been in a relationship with Ms Ncube, having first met her through a Bolton-based church in the spring of 2021.

But the relationship “turned sour”, Ms Marshall said, in part due to Moyo’s contacting of other women.

Mum-of-two Perseverance Ncube was stabbed to death (Image: GMP)

Ms Marshall said: “She told Mr Moyo repeatedly and in no uncertain terms that not only was the relationship over but that it was never going to return.”

But unable to accept the break-up, Moyo began a campaign of stalking, regularly circling around Ms Ncube’s home on Dukesgate Close, Little Hulton, in the time leading up to the murder.

This came to a head in the early hours of November 10 last year when Moyo broke into Ms Ncube’s house and tried to viciously strangle her in her bedroom.

Ms Ncube’s two children, aged just 12 and 10 at the time, tried to help their mother and succeeded in pulling the then 45-year-old Moyo off her.

Obert Moyo has now been jailed (Image: GMP)

But he then chased them out of the house and through the street before he caught up with Ms Ncube and stabbed her through the heart with what appeared to be a kebab skewer.

All the while Moyo had been electronically tagged and was on licence after being released from prison for an attack on a previous partner in Brighton in 2012.

Part of the conditions of his licence ordered him to tell the probation service when he had started a new relationship, which he failed to do. 

At some point during the early hours of that day he appeared to have taken the tag off and was seen by an acquaintance at Bolton Station the next day.

According to Ms Marshall, Moyo was heard to say “Percy is gone” and “Percy is dead".

Moyo was arrested on St Georges Road, Bolton, at around 11.15am on November 10 and at first tried to deny his crime.

He claimed that he was “not angry or jealous” and that he had no intention of “killing or harming” Ms Ncube.

But on the first day of what was meant to be his trial earlier this week Moyo, of Pennington Road, Great Lever, pleaded guilty to murder.

Ms Marshall told the court of Moyo’s history of violence and abuse against women, including not only the assault on his partner in Brighton, but of other incidents in 2007 and 2009.

She said: “Had he not hidden the truth from probation, the proper checks would have been undertaken.”

Ms Marshall said this could have meant that Moyo would have been recalled to prison before Ms Ncube was murdered.

The court listened on in silence as a series of victim impact statements laid bare the impact of Moyo's crimes on Ms Ncube's family.

Sister Christine Chiriseri said: "You once told me that you loved my sister, what you did was the total opposite, it is evil."

She added: "She was a great mother, a fantastic one even, and you knew it."

Ms Marshall also read statements from Ms Ncube's young children, setting out how they had tried to cope since losing their mother.

Her son had written of missing his mother "everyday, with a burning pain" closing his statement simply with "mum, I miss you and I will always love you".

Ms Ncube's daughter's statement addressed Moyo himself.

She said: "I really thought that you were like a father to me but you're not.

"I don't even know you anymore, I hate you."

Dafydd Enoch KC, defending, said that Moyo was “under no illusions as to what he has done” and said he accepted the children would be “affected forever” by what they had seen.

But he said that they “presented as the most remarkable children".

Mr Enoch said: “They are remarkably resilient, strong, intelligent children and frankly a credit to their family.”

He said that Moyo had shown symptoms of suffering from PTSD and struggled to accept when relationships were over.

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But Mr Enoch said that he had shown “real and genuine remorse” since murdering Ms Ncube.

But Judge Patrick Field KC said he was “frankly less than convinced” about Moyo’s apparent remorse.

He said that Ms Ncube was “trusting, kind-hearted, cheerful and hard-working, a good example to all".

Moyo, he said, was “consumed by jealousy” and presented a clear danger to the public and to women especially.

Judge Field sentenced Moyo to life in prison with a minimum term of 27 years.