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 verdict was reached by a jury at Preston Crown Court for the fatal assault that took place on November 1st, 2023, after a Halloween party attended separately by both men at a working men’s club.
On the night of October 31st, Matabiswana and his associates were at the same Halloween party as Luke Harden but left the venue by different exits. CCTV footage showed the groups walking separately before Matabiswana violently attacked Luke on Newchurch Road. He punched and then kicked Luke while he was lying defenseless on the ground. Luke had no defensive wounds, indicating he was not the aggressor in the incident.
Despite the brutal nature of the assault, Matabiswana did not immediately call emergency services. Instead, he used Luke’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 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.
After the attack, 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 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.
