Essex mum on Britain's worst cyber stalker and Netflix show

Kristen Dugdale, 31, was targeted by Hardy who was jailed for nine years in 2022. 

He was dubbed Britain's worst cyber stalker and become the subject of a 2024 Netflix docuseries 'Can I Tell You A Secret?'.

Kirsten was first contacted in February 2019 by an anonymous Instagram account claiming they had an important message about her then-husband. 

Hardy, in a barrage of anonymous phone calls and insults, called model Kirsten "disgusting" and telling her to "stick to taking your clothes off".

Model - Kirsten Dugdale, a model, had her career used against her by Matthew Hardy in his abuse (Image: Martin Kulin / SWNS) She said: "I didn't recognise the account handle or anything at all.

“I was scared for my life at one point. I lost my confidence and my trust in people around me.

“I ended up getting into a lot of arguments with my ex over it. It affected our relationship and was a contributing factor to the breakdown of our marriage."

Kirsten contacted the police, but the abuse lasted for two years, not stopping until after Hardy was finally charged in March 2021.

She added: "Before I knew it was Hardy sending me these messages - this random person from a place I had never been to - I was questioning everyone around me.

"I'd never experienced stalking before."

Following an investigation by police Hardy was jailed for nine years for stalking involving fear of violence and harassment after breaking a restraining order against nine other victims.

Kirsten said: “I was very shocked by how high his sentence was – people do worse things and get less time, so I was happy with the sentence.

"But there was no urgency to my case. I felt like there were so many hoops to jump through to get anywhere."

She added: “When I found out [it was Hardy], I told the police it was him and they didn’t believe me, it felt like I had to do their job for them, and they couldn’t do anything until something serious happened.

Matthew Hardy was jailed for nine years for various offences (Image: Cheshire Police)

“People need to be aware, and police need to take this kind of thing a bit more seriously.

Kirsten also advised people to report cyber stalking immediately, keeping as much evidence as possible.

She added:  "Don't let it drop because sick people like Hardy have no right to ruin another person's life."

Kristen's final interaction with the cyberstalker was on October 26, 2020, when she told him she'd contacted the police.

PC Kevin Anderson from Northwich Local Policing Unit, confirmed that Kristen was a victim of Hardy's.

He added: “Having led on this case for more than 18 months I have seen the emotional distress and turmoil that Hardy has inflicted on his victims – he did all of this while hiding behind his computer screen.

“The impact on those affected by his actions has been immense, causing some of them to change some of their daily habits, and live in constant fear that they were being watched.

“On other occasions, it caused them to lose trust in their friends and family members and even led to the breakdown of long-term relationships.

“Thankfully, Hardy has now been held accountable for his actions, and his online activity has finally been brought to a stop.

"I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide some closure for his victims and enable them to rebuild and move forward with their lives.”