Matthew Hardy stalker victim says life was 'living nightmare'

These are the words of one of Matthew James Hardy’s victims when she bravely read her victim impact statement in court as her stalker was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Hardy, of Forest Place, Northwich, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court yesterday, January 26, for harassing multiple women online by creating countless fake social media profiles.

The 30-year-old admitted creating fake profiles between April 2016 and August 2021 to try and befriend his victims – sometimes even posing as their friends and family members in order to gather information about them that would cause embarrassment.

He would then send messages he knew were a lie in order to create rifts amongst friends and family.

Matthew Hardy (Image: Cheshire Police)

One of Hardy's victims was harassed by him between November 2019 and December 2020. 

The court heard how Hardy spread malicious lies to people close to the victim and even posed as her friend by stealing their profile picture to engage in conversation with others.

She said Hardy had taunted her about his continued creation of fake profiles, saying ‘Good luck proving who I am’.

In a victim impact statement read in court – which she had written before police had uncovered Hardy’s identity – she said: “This person has ruined my life since November 2019.

“I have been scared of what people must think of me. I live in constant fear.

“My whole life has been a living nightmare and I am not sure how much longer myself or my family can live with it.

“My entire wellbeing is under threat, not to mention my livelihood.

“Why should someone get away with torturing people’s lives by hiding behind a screen?

“I can’t believe that this is still allowed to happen, and we can be allowed to be anyone on social media.”