Bhekisani Matabiswana, 27, has been jailed for life for murdering 36-year-old Luke Harden in a 'frenzied and cowardly attack'15:13, 18 May 2026A man who sickeningly tried to "paint himself as the Good Samaritan" after murdering a model has been jailed for life.‌Bhekisani Matabiswana, 27, killed 36-year-old Luke Harden shortly after the pair met for the first time at a Halloween party at Rosemount Working Men's Club in Stacksteads, Lancashire, on October 31 last year. Mr Harden died on Newchurch Road in Bacup, Lancashire, shortly after midnight on November 1.‌Matabiswana was arrested at Manchester Airport two days later while attempting to flee to South Africa. The 27-year-old, of St James Street, Bacup, denied murder but was found guilty at Preston Crown Court last week. On Monday, he was sentenced at the same court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and six months.‌The trial heard that Mr Harden, who worked for Nemesis Model Agency in Manchester, had been booked to DJ at the Halloween party alongside others, the Manchester Evening News reports.Matabiswana, who attended the same event with his friends, carried out what police described as a "frenzied and cowardly attack" on Mr Harden as he lay defenceless on the ground during an encounter shortly after both men had left the venue.‌The court heard that, instead of calling 999, Matabiswana instead used Mr Harden's phone to contact his family and friends to tell them he had found him injured. Det Insp Pete MacDonald of Lancashire Police previously described it as "a sordid and sinister bid to paint himself as the Good Samaritan who had simply come across an injured man on the pavement".The attack was "so sudden, so quick and so brutal" that Mr Harden had no opportunity to defend himself, the court previously heard.Mr Harden suffered swelling to the brain and back of the head, extensive facial bruising, cuts to the eyelid and lips, fractures to his nose, jaw and larynx, and bruising to his neck, arms and shoulder. A post-mortem examination found he died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck.‌In a victim impact statement, Mr Harden’s girlfriend described him as "a gentle soul, full of kindness". His father, Gary Harden, said in his statement: "Luke is not just my son. He was my friend and my pride."The court heard that Mr Harden's mother "screamed in a way" she never had before when she realised "our little boy was no longer living".Article continues belowShe said: "As a mother, I became frozen in time. A shell of what I was. This has left me feeling a failure as a mother. When we look to the future it’s overtaken with fear, worry, stress and pain. We are living in a new reality that does not feel real and we will never be the same again. This savage monster killed him."In her statement, Mr Harden's girlfriend said: "Hearing the horrific details during the trial, I have had to leave the courtroom twice and passed out on one occasion. My parents are haunted by memories of that night. It has scarred us forever."Losing Luke in such a horrific way has shattered my mental health. I have nightmares about that night, panic attacks and suffer from paranoia on a daily basis. My confidence has been shattered and my trust in others has been ruined. He was my partner for life and my soul-mate. We had talked about getting married and planning the rest of our lives together. That future has been stolen from us."