A man who murdered a model in a frenzied attack and then used his victim's phone to contact family and friends has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Bhekisani Matabiswana, 27, was found guilty of killing 36-year-old Luke Harden at Preston Crown Court last week.
The court heard that Matabiswana attacked Mr Harden shortly after they met at a Halloween party in Bacup, Lancashire, on October 31 last year. The victim, a model and DJ, died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck after being assaulted on a nearby street.
After the attack, Matabiswana did not call emergency services but instead used Mr Harden's phone to contact his loved ones, claiming he had found him injured. Detective Inspector Pete MacDonald of Lancashire Police described this as 'a sordid and sinister bid to paint himself as the Good Samaritan'.
Matabiswana was arrested at Manchester Airport two days later while attempting to flee to South Africa. He denied murder but was convicted. On Monday, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and six months.
In victim impact statements, Mr Harden's family and girlfriend described him as 'a gentle soul, full of kindness'. His father said, 'Luke is not just my son. He was my friend and my pride.' His mother said the loss had left her 'frozen in time' and 'a shell of what I was'.
