A CHILD abuser who sexually assaulted two young girls was “too ashamed” to appear in court to be sentenced.

Matthew Hardy, of High Street in Swanage, was jailed for six years and eight months after admitting to assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, assaulting a girl under 13 and the indecent assault of a girl under the age of 16.

Mitigating, Robert Grey, told Bournemouth Crown Court that 40-year-old Hardy was too ashamed and embarrassed to attend the hearing on Friday, February 3. 

Despite offering Hardy the option to appear via a video link or behind the screen in the witness box Judge Brian Forster QC proceeded with the sentencing after Mr Grey said Hardy was insistent he would only cause further upset to his victims by appearing.

Hardy was within the court precinct during the hearing but not inside the court room itself.

The court was told that Hardy’s crimes came to light after one of his victims became upset at school and told her friends and teachers. During his interview with police Hardy then confessed to an earlier incident involving another young girl in the mid 90s. The offences occurred between January 2012-July 2014 and January 1994-January 1996.

Speaking of the latest victim, prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said: “She became distressed crying during the course of it.”

In a statement made by her mother, she said her daughter wasn’t paying attention in class and had suffered back pain for which she was taking strong painkillers. The back pain subsided after the matters came to light, Mr Ellacott said.

“The long term effects on this young lady will have to be seen,” he added.

He said the earlier victim had grown up suffering from panic attacks and anxiety and had self-harmed with a razor blade as a teenager.

Mr Grey said the defendant had no previous convictions, was previously of good character, had held down a job as a driver for some years and had shown “remorse and a deep sense of shame for what he has done”.

He said Hardy’s early guilty pleas had “spared” his victims the ordeal of coming to court.

“Many defendants don’t accept what they have done,” he said.

Speaking in Hardy’s absence, Judge Forster QC, said Hardy took advantage of vulnerable young girls and that what took place had had a “considerable impact” on both victims.

Speaking of the latest victim he said: “She was distressed at the time of his behaviour but he nonetheless persisted.

“One can understand how each victim has been haunted by these experiences,” he said.

“It is impossible to underestimate the continued impact.”

Hardy was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, pay a victim surcharge and was given a sexual harm prevention order of 10 years.