The stabbing of a 62-year-old man in an Aldi car park in Salford yesterday is being treated as an attempted murder. The man was stabbed four times at 4.30pm yesterday in the car park in Heywood Way, with the attack initially pinned as an attempted robbery, due to the man carrying bags of shopping at the time.
However, nothing was stolen during the incident and Greater Manchester Police have said the violence used was excessive. The victim remains in intensive care as the police ramp up their investigation to find the culprit, including checking CCTV in the area.
The knifeman fled on foot but police are checking CCTV to see if he arrived in a vehicle. No weapon has been recovered from the attack so far.
According to witnesses, the victim appeared to have been stabbed after an attempt to steal his shopping, and was found slumped next to his car, report Manchester Evening News.
A post on the Facebook page for the Pendleton and Charlestown ward claimed: “This poor victim is my neighbour who looks after his disabled father. I really hope the police get the rotten and evil swine who perpetrated this wicked act.”
But further inspection suggests the victim was singled out, as the attacker headed directly towards him before the assault.
Detective Sergeant Gareth Bannister of GMP’s Salford District said yesterday: “I would like to reassure the public first and foremost that this is an isolated incident, and our officers are leaving no stone unturned to locate the suspect in question.
“Our officers will remain in the local area to conduct further enquiries this evening and we have an increased number of patrolling officers across the centre of Salford to provide further reassurance to our community. If you were at Salford Precinct this afternoon, saw anything suspicious, saw the suspect in question or have any information no matter how small it may be, this could be a huge help in locating the suspect and achieving justice for the victim.”
The attack came just two weeks after Tyron Riley, 31, was fatally stabbed in nearby Clarendon Park. Local councillors will be holding a meeting with police following the increased concern around knife crime in Manchester.
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Councillor John Warmisham, who represents the ward where yesterday’s stabbing occurred, said: “I am deeply saddened that something like this could happen. I hope the perpetrator is identified quickly and brought to justice. My sincere sympathies go out to the person who has been stabbed and I hope he makes a full recovery.
“I think people should see this though as a one-off. It is still safe to go shopping at the Precinct. Local councillors will be having a meeting with GMP to discuss knife crime in the area and security. Working with the police and charities we have already gone into schools across the city to get across the consequences of carrying a knife.
“The Broughton Trust has organised the staging of a hard-hitting play in schools to reinforce the message. Knife crime has become an epidemic nationally and we must do everything we can to stop it in Salford.
“I understand the man who was attacked in the car park outside Aldi is a carer for his father. This is not a run-of-the-mill mugging. It would seem the victim, like any Salford bloke, has had a go back and the attacker has pulled a blade. I would urge anyone who knows who the culprit is to contact police. He is clearly dangerous.”
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