Heart-breaking letter to launch an appeal for help for the family of murdered Sale Moor man

An appeal has been launched to help the family of a man stabbed to death in Sale Moor.

Thirty-four year old Mike Grimshaw was murdered in front of his home while confronting youths who had been causing trouble in Royton Avenue on Thursday evening.

Neighbours say he was due to marry his fiancée Michelle in three weeks.  She is said to have witnessed the attack.

Her daughter Rachel Whalley has set up an online appeal for help at www.gofundme.com/help-michelle-and-her-broken-family

Rachel has written a heart-breaking letter to accompany the appeal.

She says:”If your reading this your on social media and have more then likely come across the devastating news of a young dad being stabbed to death infront of his fiancé well that was my step father and my mothers finacè. I am setting this page up on behalf of my mother to see if the community can pull together to help her get back on her feet.

”Due to this horrible incident happening outside my mothers home as you can expect she is in no position to return. What was once a family home has now turned into an awful memory for my mother.

”She has three younger children that will now be being re housed with my mother closer to her family. We all know the expenses of moving home decorating and getting the carpets down so on then there’s going to be the costs of high school uniforms for three children and then last of all having to do Christmas alone unexpectedly.

”My mother has been left with a broken heart and a home she can not face. In order to get her back on her feet settled in a new home is going to be some struggle we will need to gather as much as we can as a family and a community to give my mother and her children the best fresh start she can have knowing her husband to be will not be by her side anymore .

Money will also be going towards giving this amazing man whom was a brilliant step father to myself and younger siblings, a supportive loving fiancé to my mother and an fantastic father to his daughter an amazing send of. Please can we all give my mother some hope that she will be able to be settled into a new home and not be struggling even more with what she is already struggling with.
Thank you all so much for clicking our page and taking the time to read this.”

Shocked neighbours in Royton Avenue held a candlelight vigil for Mike Grimshaw at the weekend. They are still coming to terms with his murder.  “Mike was a brilliant man. The first person to help anyone. I am angry, frustrated, and devastated that he was taken from us.  He has everything to live for her. He was a devoted Dad and partner to Michelle,” said one neighbour.

Detectives investigating the murder arrested a 16-year-old youth on Friday. He has been released on police bail, as inquiries continue.