A man dressed as a clown after attending a Halloween party has been convicted of murdering a male model in a "frenzied and cowardly attack" before attempting to portray himself as a Good Samaritan.
Luke Harden, 36, died after being punched, kicked, and stamped on in the street, suffering catastrophic injuries to his head, face, and neck. The attack occurred in Bacup, Lancashire, following a Halloween fancy dress event at the Rosemount Working Men's Club, where Harden was working as a DJ.
The Attack
Bhekisani Matabiswana, 27, originally from Zimbabwe, left the venue shortly before midnight with associates, while Harden exited through a different door. CCTV footage captured both groups walking through streets, with Matabiswana's group ahead of the victim, who was alone. At 23:58, an interaction occurred between Matabiswana, his then-partner, and Harden. Shortly after, Matabiswana punched Harden, then kicked and stamped on him while he lay defenceless on the ground. Harden had no defensive wounds, indicating he was not the aggressor.
Rather than administering first aid or calling an ambulance, Matabiswana used Harden's phone to contact the victim's friends and family, claiming he had found him collapsed. He lied to paramedics and police, stating Harden had fallen and he had placed him in the recovery position. However, a member of the public who witnessed the scene noted Matabiswana was on the phone but had not called for an ambulance. The witness then called emergency services and provided first aid alongside Matabiswana's ex-partner.
Paramedics arrived at 00:20 and noted injuries consistent with an assault. At 01:17, Harden was pronounced dead at the scene. Matabiswana and his partner were arrested on suspicion of murder shortly before 02:00. Officers observed grazing on Matabiswana's left knuckles and swelling on his right ring finger, which he claimed were old injuries.
Attempt to Flee
After being released under investigation, Matabiswana attempted to flee the UK. He was arrested at Manchester Airport two days after the attack while trying to board a flight to South Africa. In police interviews, he claimed self-defence, alleging Harden punched him first, and denied using his feet. However, text messages recovered from his phone contradicted his accounts and revealed plans to flee the country, including requests for money and a third-party email to book flights.
Matabiswana denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court. Detective Inspector Pete MacDonald of Lancashire Police said: "Following a brief encounter with his victim, Matabiswana engaged in a frenzied and cowardly attack – continuing to attack Luke whilst he lay defenceless on the floor. He then made no effort to help Luke, instead choosing to contact his family and friends in a sordid and sinister bid to paint himself as the Good Samaritan."
MacDonald added: "Throughout this case, Matabiswana has shown no remorse, making several efforts to evade justice. Firstly, by attempting to leave the scene before police arrived – later being heard to say ‘we shouldn’t have done this’. And then secondly by booking a flight to Johannesburg. Thankfully he never made that flight. Thankfully a jury had today held Matabiswana accountable for his actions by finding him guilty of Luke’s murder."
