A new documentary looks at the impact one man hiding behind a screen had on so many lives…
WORDS: MISHAAL KHAN.
When you think of stalking, you probably imagine a creepy figure lurking in the shadows, following someone as they make their way home. What you probably don’t imagine, is someone being harassed while in the comfort and safety of their own home. But this is the reality for many who’ve found themselves the victim of a cyberstalker.
Cyberstalking involves the repeated use of electronic communications to frighten or harass someone and the UK saw one of its biggest cases in January 2022 when 30-year-old Matthew Hardy was sentenced to nine years (later reduced to eight years) for cyberstalking numerous women.
The story was documented in a podcast series, Can I Tell You A Secret?, which has now been turned into a documentary of the same name, due to air on Netflix next week (21 February).
The programme tells the story of just some of Hardy’s innocent victims and how their lives were destroyed. One of the women he targeted talks to Woman about the nightmare she endured…
‘THERE WAS NO ESCAPE’
Lia Hambly, 25, lives in Kent
As my phone vibrated my whole body trembled. My mum, who I lived with, shook her head and told me to ignore it. But how could I? I’d lost count of how many messages I’d received from an unknown number that night, and it was beginning to really frighten me. The truth was, I was being harassed – it had been going on for months and I no longer felt safe in my own home. I’d reported it to the police, yet nobody seemed to be taking my claims seriously. Because, while I was being bombarded with awful messages daily, I had no idea who was behind them.
It was 11.30pm one evening in November 2019 when I received the first message on Instagram, from an account I didn’t know. The profile picture was of a woman and her message had a hasty tone. ‘Have you got a minute?’ they wrote. They said it was urgent, mentioned my family, and were behaving as though we were familiar. I was confused and asked what was going on. ‘Can I tell you a secret?’ they wrote.
They didn’t sound threatening but Mum told me to just block the account, which I did, but the following morning I woke up to more messages, similar in content plus multiple friend requests from strangers. Within 24 hours, things spiralled. People I knew – friends, family, colleagues from my job as a paralegal – got in touch, confused about
