Overview
- The jury at Preston Crown Court returned a guilty verdict Wednesday, a majority decision after about 12 hours of deliberation, with sentencing set for Monday, May 18.
- Prosecutors said he punched, kicked, and stamped on Harden on Newchurch Road in Stacksteads, causing fatal head and neck injuries that a pathologist identified as blunt force trauma.
- Evidence showed no defensive wounds on Harden and no significant injuries on Matabiswana, which the court heard was consistent with a one‑sided assault.
- A forensic scientist said Harden’s blood on the defendant’s shirt and trousers strongly supported that he punched an already bleeding man, while a paramedic and witnesses disputed his claim that he performed CPR.
- After initial arrest and release under investigation, he bought a new phone, booked a flight to Johannesburg, and was arrested in Manchester Airport’s departure lounge, and messages later revealed false stories that cast him as a Good Samaritan.