How was Matthew Hardy caught? Can I Tell You a Secret stalker's arrest details, explored

Netflix's recently released crime documentary Can I Tell You a Secret narrates the harrowing experiences of several women at the hands of a serial cyberstalker. Soon after the two-part documentary premiered on the OTT platform on February 21, 2024, people started talking about the mini-series.

Some were shocked to find out the extent to which Matthew Hardy, the stalker, went to terrorize his victims. While some were terrified to see the events of the series play out in a manner that was not too unfamiliar to them.

Although featuring only three of Hardy's victims Can I Tell You a Secret is the story of all women around the world who are stalked, harassed, and bullied by people online. What is worse is that often they are not believed, and the onus of their protection is put on them rather than on the correct authorities.

In the series, too, a similar situation takes place when the women are not initially believed. It was only when a police constable by the name of Kevin Anderson from the Cheshire Constabulary stepped in that the case was taken seriously.

Anderson started investigating the case based on criminal records he found of Hardy involving several instances of cyberstalking in the past. After this, Anderson tracked down the stalker's other victims. This led him to meet several women who also faced a similar fate. After much ado, Hardy, in a joint official letter with his solicitor, confessed to his crimes.

Disclaimer: The following article comprises spoilers. It also has mentions of stalking and harassment, which might be triggering to some. Please read at your discretion.

---

How did PC Kevin Anderson get Matthew Hardy to confess to his crimes in Can I Tell You a Secret?

PC Kevin Anderson in Can I Tell You a Secret (Image via Netflix)

In Can I Tell You a Secret, the victims of Hardy's cyberstalking revealed that although they had initially shared their experiences with the police, none of them had taken them seriously. It was only when Police Constable Kevin Anderson took matters into his own hands did the case gain momentum.

Anderson was investigating an entirely different stalking incident related to Hardy when he came across his police file. He found out that Hardy had more than 100 reports against him from at least 62 victims. He had also been arrested about 10 times. It was then that the police constable decided to reach out to his other victims, which included Lia Hambly, Zoe Jade Hallam, and several others.

After collecting evidence from multiple such women, Matthew Hardy finally admitted to his practices. He pleaded guilty to stalking five people, however, based on records, those numbers could be much higher.

---

Was there a reason why Matthew Hardy stalked these women in Can I Tell You a Secret?

Matthew Hardy in Can I Tell You a Secret (Image via Netflix)

Matthew pleaded guilty to stalking and harassing five women. Following the confession, Hardy was summoned to court. While the hearing for his case was on, Hardy's defense lawyer spoke about his client's mental health issues and his struggle with autism. However, that did not affect the ruling, and Hardy was given nine years in jail.

To gain more perspective on this aspect of the matter, Liza Williams, director of Can I Tell You a Secret, got in touch with people with autism. In the documentary, she says:

“We spoke to charities and organisations run by autistic people and their main fear was there’d be an assumption that this was typical behaviour of an autistic person, which clearly it isn’t.The vast majority of autistic people don’t display these types of behaviours ... but it’s also important to talk about the fact that Matthew was diagnosed with autism late, and that meant he was very socially isolated as a young person."

She further adds:

"And that is a factor in why he became so obsessive and so glued to his social media. I think the film did have to discuss that: it’s absolutely not an excuse for his behaviour, and it doesn’t explain the harm he caused, but it is an important thing to explore."

---

Can I Tell You a Secret is currently streaming on Netflix.