Bhekisani Matabiswana has been found guilty of murdering Luke Harden
Luke Harden's brave family and friends took to the witness box to describe the agony they continue to suffer after his life was cruelly taken from him.
Bhekisani Matabiswana, 27, was today with a minimum term of 15 years and 353 days after he was found guilty of murdering 37-year-old Luke on November 1 last year. Luke had been DJing at a Halloween event held at a working men's club in Stacksteads which Matabiswana had also attended. As the two men made their way home separately an altercation began which resulted in Matabiswana repeatedly punch Luke and stamp on his head.
Crown Court for today's sentencing. Seven, including Luke's parents and his sister, read out victim personal statements in which they told of the impact on their lives. , Luke's mum Katie's statement was read out by her partner as she stood beside him in the witness box. She described the agony of losing her son and added: "This savage monster killed him".
She said:” The reality of our situation and family dynamic has now changed forever. Where we looked to the future and lived in happiness, it’s now overtaken with fear, stress, worry and pain in order for us to just survive. We no longer can be normal, we are now living in a new reality that does not feel real and we will never be the same people we were before the 1st November.
“Not being able to take regular holidays or have our conversations, what used to be a simple and mundane part of life of having Friday night calls with Luke where he put the world to rights, has now become some of our cherished memories. “We have been robbed of time, hugs, kisses, love, memories. Watching his life, his future, his plans and his career all unfold has been ripped away and the reason why is still unknown.
We have been robbed of a son, something a parent should never do, bury their child in their lifetime.
"Luke’s dad Gary Harden struggled to hold back the tears as he read out his own victim personal statement. He said: “Since November 1st, 2025, our lives have completely changed. The pain of losing Luke in such a violent and senseless way, is something we carry every single day. There is a constant emptiness that cannot be filled.
“As his dad, I find myself thinking about the time we had and wishing we had made more of it, wishing we saw each other more, said even more. Those thoughts stay with me, and they add to the pain of losing him.
“Everyday life is no longer the same, simple things are harder, family moments feel incomplete. There is always something missing and it’s because Luke should be there, but he isn’t and can no longer be.
“What hurts most is knowing I will never hear him say “love you too, Dad” again. I will never hug him again, never see his smile, never hear his laugh. That has been taken from me, and from everyone who loved him. ”Luke’s grandmother, who lived in Spain, died before the conclusion of the murder trial.
Luke’s sister described how she flew to Spain to see her grandma before she died. As Melissa sat by her grandmother’s bedside she told her “Luke is waiting for you. ” Melissa said in her statement: “A huge part of my life has been snatched away. I’ve never not had Luke in my life.
We had a special bond in childhood. We’ve always been told we were like twins; born 15 months apart.
'You're the best, I love you' are the last words I ever said to him. “We laughed together, cried together but now that bond that linked us is gone. I can feel he’s no longer on the other end of it and it breaks me.
“I’ve lost meaning. I try to sleep, hoping in my dreams I will visit him. But sleep is hard. Sadly now my only aim is to make it through another day.
I dread future special occasions. I don’t want to celebrate anything without him.
“I had to tell my dad his son had been killed. Words cannot explain how broken and helpless I felt. How am I ever going to function again? It feels impossibly unfair.
“My world has been shattered. I’m enduring an unimaginable loss and my sadness is so immense. Sometimes I think I might not survive the intensity of it all.
“This cruel act has handed out hundreds of life sentences that will never be spent. The person I used to be died with him that night. I don’t want this life where there’s no Luke in it.
“He lit up so many lives with that bright smile. He didn’t deserve any of this. My past has been tainted, my present is a wreckage and my future has been stolen. There is no end to my loss.
I feel the loss of my brother every morning of every day. ”“I was placed in a position where I had no choice but to attempt to bring my best mate back to life. I had no training apart from what I’d seen on TV.
"I remember crushing his chest desperately trying to bring him back. I have to relive the sight of my best mate’s beat up face every night when I sleep.
"What’s more haunting is the fact his murderer had his arm around me at the scene, frantically trying to make me believe he’d only fallen, knowing full well he had just beaten him to death. “What started off as a fun night out with my boyfriend and friend quickly turned into the worst day of my life. Luke was my friend, someone I trusted, laughed with and cared about deeply.
Since his death there has been a hole in my life that can never be filled.
"He told me that night that he was my brother and he’d have my back until the day he died. I never imagined it would be that same night.
“I have been left with severe PTSD. I relive that day constantly through nightmares, panic attacks and flashbacks. The trauma and guilt I feel daily and became so overwhelming I had to be admitted to hospital. The person I was before that day no longer exists.
The grief and trauma also destroyed my relationship with the love of my life. I have become withdrawn, angry, scared and emotionally broken.
“My two young children have lost the mum they once had and my own mum has lost the daughter I used to be because I am nothing but a shell of what I once was. ”“Luke deserved to live his life, he deserved a future, he deserved more time with the people who loved him. Although no sentence will ever be enough I pray it will be sufficient enough to heal our broken community.
”Holly Mitchell, Luke’s cousin, spoke on behalf of herself and her mother; who is the twin sister of Luke’s mum.
“My mum received the call before I did and made her way to the scene. My nine-year-old daughter answered the phone to Melissa. She immediately began crying and screaming. When I arrived at the scene it felt like an out of body experience.
I saw my traumatised mum. I can still hear her wailing and begging Luke to wake up.
“My mum was leaning over a car bonnet, blue lights all around her, making a call to her twin sister, my aunty Katie. Those moments replay in our minds every single day.
"Seeing Luke lying there, lifeless in the back of that ambulance, his eyes fixed open, whilst hearing nothing but the Lucas machine performing compressions. It’s an image and a sound permanently burned into our minds.
“Death is a part of life but there is something especially cruel about someone being taken so suddenly, so violently and for no reason. We now understand what it truly means to have a broken heart.
“When I returned home in the early hours my children were sitting waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. We cried together for what felt like an eternity. The photo of Luke used in the press was taken on my 30th birthday. I never thought that same photo would be used in the press, identifying him as a murder victim.
”“We try to avoid shops and familiar faces because everyone asks if we’re ok. But we’re not ok. We have to drive past the place where he died every day. We carry guilt for continuing to live.
“This man has not only taken Luke’s life he has taken hundreds of lives. His death devastated not only our family but the entireValley and beyond. will get a life sentence but in reality it is us who have been given a life sentence. ”“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.
“Luke was loved by so many people. The entire Valley has been affected by what has happened. How could someone be so evil and cruel to inflict such pain and suffering. Luke, who would never intentionally hurt anyone, did not deserve this at all.
"He was a gentle soul, full of kindness. I have been unable to look in the eyes knowing what he has done. It makes me sick to the stomach knowing what pain and suffering Luke went through.
“You have ruined not only Luke’s life but mine too. He was the light in this world taken far too soon and I will forever miss him. He will always be my boy and I’ll love him forever. ” Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox
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