Catfish victim says man 'ruined her life' after 'lying to neighbour about affair'
28.01.2022 - 12:09
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A woman said her life was 'ruined for three years' after she was catfished online as part of a campaign of harassment.
Matthew Hardy, 30, from Northwich, created hundreds of profiles on Instagram and Facebook to stalk people across the UK for a period of over 10 years , including 23-year-old Lia.
He was this week jailed for nine years.
Chester Crown Court heard how Hardy would sometimes pose as friends and family members of the victims he stalked in order to gather information about them that would cause embarrassment.
After gaining the trust of his victims, he would send them messages that he knew were a lie in order create rifts amongst their family – causing his victims upset and distress.
Victim Lia told the BBC that Hardy ruined her life "for three years" after targeting her on Instagram, reported the Manchester Evening News.
"People think it's only just a few messages, but it is not... it is hell," said Lia.
"He does not stop. If you don't reply, he will inundate you. If you block the account, he just makes another one. People say just block it out but you can't as he does not let you."
Hardy also sent flirty messages to some of her father's friends, masquerading as her, and contacted her neighbours, inviting them round to her house for tea.
He told a neighbour that Lia was having an affair with her future husband on the woman's wedding day.
She said the "amount of trouble that he has caused me... ruined my life for three years."
Lia continued: "There's still people out there who he will have messaged or messaged their boyfriends.
"Someone could come up to me at any time and say 'you've been messaging my boyfriend'."
Hardy, of Forest Place, Northwich, had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of stalking with intent to