A Wiltshire mum targeted by Netflix's 'Can I Tell You A Secret?' stalker Matthew Hardy claims the ordeal led to the breakdown of her marriage and livelihood.

Kristen Dugdale, 31, was targeted by Matthew Hardy - dubbed Britain's worst cyberstalker - who was jailed for nine years for stalking involving fear of violence and harassment after breaking a restraining order in January 2022.

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

It was the start of a two-year ordeal which Kristen claims saw Hardy accusing her of sleeping with her then-husband's father and using her images to sell adult content.

He even subjected her to a barrage of anonymous phone calls and insults - calling her "disgusting" and telling her to "stick to taking your clothes off".

Although she contacted Wiltshire Police in 2019, the abuse didn't stop until Hardy was arrested in February 2020 and charged in March 2021.

Hardy - who created hundreds of fake social media accounts - is now believed to have targeted 63 victims over 11 years, according to reports.

Although Kristen was not involved in the court case against Hardy - which saw him jailed for nine years - police have confirmed she was a victim of the prolific stalker.

Wiltshire mum Kristen was a victim of one of 'Britain's worst' cyber-stalkersWiltshire mum Kristen was a victim of one of 'Britain's worst' cyber-stalkers (Image: SWNS)

"He contacted me on my modelling Instagram account that I used for networking and posed as a woman from Manchester," said the Wiltshire victim.

"I didn't recognise the account handle or anything at all. 

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

Over Instagram, Hardy implied she had slept with her ex-husband's best friend and Kristen began receiving regular phone calls multiple times a day and abusive messages from numbers she didn’t recognise.

Fake profiles pretending to be her started popping up on Instagram – with Kristen saying some accounts were even seeming to sell adult content using her images.

Kristen says he contacted a photographer she had worked with and attempted to organise a photoshoot while sending suggestive messages.

He even appeared to know the names of her friends and family - mentioning her ex-husband's pals' names, and even their wives and girlfriend's names.

Kristen became 'scared for her life'Kristen became 'scared for her life' (Image: SWNS) “It was so scary at that time – I started accusing people I knew and I didn't trust anyone," she said.

“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.

"I was so affected, I had to quit my job as a model.

“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."

Hardy was convicted of stalking involving fear of violence and harassment after breaking a restraining order against nine other victims at Cheshire Crown Court on January 26 2022 following an investigation by PC Kevin Anderson with Cheshire Police.

“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," said PC Anderson.

“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.

"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.”

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