A 27-year-old man, Bhekisani Matabiswana, has been found guilty of murdering 37-year-old model Luke Harden in the Stacksteads area of Rossendale. The conviction was delivered by a jury at Preston Crown Court for the fatal assault that took place on November 1st last year.
The incident occurred following a Halloween party at a working men’s club, which both Matabiswana and Harden had attended separately. On the night of October 31st, CCTV footage showed Matabiswana and his associates attending the same party as Luke Harden but leaving through different exits.
Shortly after, Matabiswana violently attacked Luke Harden on Newchurch Road. The assault involved punching and kicking Luke while he was lying defenceless on the ground. Medical evidence showed that Luke had no defensive wounds, indicating he was not the aggressor in the confrontation.
Despite the severity of the attack, Matabiswana did not immediately call emergency services. Instead, he used Luke’s phone to contact the victim’s friends and family but did not provide any aid. Eventually, a member of the public called for an ambulance and administered first aid alongside a female associate of Matabiswana.
Paramedics arrived to find Luke Harden with extensive facial injuries and bruising consistent with a severe assault. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:17am due to blunt force trauma to the head and neck sustained during the attack.
Following the assault, Matabiswana gave false accounts to paramedics and police, claiming he had found Luke after a fall. Authorities later arrested him at Manchester Airport as he attempted to flee the country to South Africa. Data recovered from his phone showed conflicting stories and plans to evade justice.
Detective Inspector Pete MacDonald commented on the case, saying: “Matabiswana engaged in a frenzied and cowardly attack, continuing to assault Luke while he was defenseless on the floor. He made no effort to help and instead lied to Luke’s family and friends. Thankfully, the jury held him accountable by finding him guilty of murder.”
Bhekisani Matabiswana is due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Monday.
Originally published by UKNIP.
