'Our murdered son's future has been ripped away'

The parents of a model who was murdered while on a night out have spoken about the "violent and senseless" attack which killed their son.

Luke Harden, 36, died on Newchurch Road in Bacup, Lancashire, shortly after midnight on 1 November.

He was killed by a "remorseless" stranger who was jailed for life after he tried to "paint himself as the Good Samaritan" who had come across an injured man lying in the street.

In victim impact statements read to Preston Crown Court following the trial, Luke's dad Gary Harden said he now felt "a constant emptiness" while his mum, Katie McGovern, said: "We have been robbed of time, hugs, kisses, love, memories."

Gary Harden said: "Since 1 November 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."

Katie McGovern 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 1 November.

"The realisation that Luke is not able to become a dad, that we are not going to be grandparents.

"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."

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