A 27-year-old man, Bhekisani Matabiswana, has been convicted of murdering 37-year-old model Luke Harden in the Stacksteads area of Rossendale. The jury at Preston Crown Court found Matabiswana guilty of the fatal assault that occurred on November 1st last year.
The incident followed a Halloween party held at a working men’s club, which both Matabiswana and Harden attended separately. On the night of October 31st, CCTV footage showed both groups leaving the venue by different doors.
Matabiswana then violently attacked Luke Harden on Newchurch Road. He punched and kicked Harden while he lay defenseless on the ground. Notably, Harden had no defensive wounds, indicating he was not the aggressor in the confrontation.
Despite the brutal assault, Matabiswana did not call emergency services immediately. Instead, he used Luke Harden’s phone to contact the victim’s friends and family without providing 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 found Luke after a fall. Authorities later arrested him at Manchester Airport as he attempted to flee to South Africa. Data recovered from his phone revealed conflicting stories and plans to evade justice.
Detective Inspector Pete MacDonald commented: “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.”
Matabiswana is due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Monday.
Originally published by UKNIP.
