The family of murder victim Perseverance Ncube has expressed their fury after discovering that her killer, Obert Moyo, 46, was an illegal immigrant who should have been deported 20 years ago. Moyo, originally from Zimbabwe, managed to remain in the UK despite previous convictions for attacks on women.
Last week, Moyo was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years after he was found guilty of stabbing Ncube, 35, in front of her two children with a foot-long meat skewer. The incident occurred in Salford following a violent altercation in November last year.
As he was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court, it emerged that Moyo had overstayed on his visa in the early 2000s and went on to commit several violent crimes before the murder of Ms. Ncube. In 2007 and 2009, he had been convicted of harassing women, the latter incident resulting in a six-month prison sentence. In 2013, he received a 10-year sentence for an aggravated attack on another former partner in Brighton.
Despite these convictions, the Home Office did not deport him. Instead, he was fitted with a tag after his release and was able to continue living in the UK.
Ms. Ncube’s sister, Christine Chiriseri, 28, who is now caring for the children, expressed her anger and dismay over the failure to deport Moyo. “I was very angry and upset because all of this tragedy could have been avoided if people had done their jobs properly. We all felt very let down by the Home Office,” she said.
The court heard that on the day of the murder, Moyo broke into Ncube’s house and attacked her in the bedroom before chasing her into the street and stabbing her. He had not disclosed to probation officers that he had begun a relationship with Ncube, which was a violation of his licence conditions.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning acknowledged the family’s pain, stating, “Percy’s family deserves answers as to why this man… was allowed to remain in this country illegally. Had Moyo been deported, Percy’s children would still have a mother.”
In response, a Home Office spokesman emphasized, “The Government is doing everything possible to reduce legal challenges and to increase the numbers of foreign national offenders being removed.”
