A man dressed as a clown after a Halloween party has been jailed for life for the murder of a male model in a 'frenzied and cowardly attack'. Bhekisani Matabiswana, 27, was found guilty of killing Luke Harden, 36, in Bacup, Lancashire, on 29 October 2022.
The court heard that Matabiswana punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Harden, causing catastrophic head, face and neck injuries. After the attack, Matabiswana lied to emergency services, claiming he had found Mr Harden collapsed and tried to save him. However, CCTV footage showed him assaulting the victim while he lay defenceless on the ground.
Matabiswana, originally from Zimbabwe, attempted to flee the UK and was arrested at Manchester Airport two days after the attack. He denied murder but was convicted by a jury at Preston Crown Court. Police described him as a 'remorseless killer' who tried to 'paint himself as the Good Samaritan'.
Mr Harden was one of the DJs at a Halloween party at the Rosemount Working Men's Club, which Matabiswana also attended. The killer left the venue shortly before midnight and encountered Mr Harden walking alone. After the assault, Matabiswana used the victim's phone to call his friends and family, but did not call an ambulance. A member of the public eventually called for help, but Mr Harden was pronounced dead at the scene at 1.17am.
Matabiswana was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.
