John met Tracey and they started dating. John was not happy with his new girlfriend and decided that the relationship should end. Texting Tracey he broke up with her. When he received a text back to say she was pregnant, he knew he would honour his role as a father. Tyler was born and for the next three years, John would spend time travelling up and down the country to see his son.

Sometimes he would travel for six hours to bring gifts to his beloved boy. He kept all the visitation appointments and became a stable father in Tyler’s life. When Tyler was three, Tracey decided to start denying John access to his son. What followed was two years of court letters and expensive meetings with solicitors. In a fit of desperation, two years into the custody battle, John rang the police and reported his son Tyler missing.

Police investigate

The police immediately went to investigate. When they discovered that Tyler was not missing in the traditional sense, they suspected John of wasting police time. Still, they went to speak to Tracey to confirm that Tyler was well before closing the case.

When police arrived at Tracey’s house they found her there with her teenage daughter, but no five-year-old boy. When they asked her about Tyler she stated that there was no child, she had never had a child. She said she remembered John vaguely, but had no idea why he was talking about a son they had never had.

The police went back to John, now suspecting that he had a severe mental health condition. When they again interviewed him he was shocked with the revelation that Tracey was saying there was no son. He produced a photo of himself on the floor with Tyler riding on his back and Tracey in the background. Had Tracey murdered her son?

On return to Tracey, she confirmed that she couldn’t remember the photo being taken. The photo must be of John with a friend’s child, she didn’t recognise the child. Medical records would prove that Tracey had never been pregnant five years ago. Police would also search social services for Tyler, who was not there.

The case takes a surprising turn

The police had followed the evidence and could not make sense of the case in front of them. It was only after they questioned Tracey’s teenage daughter that the case started to unravel. When showed the photo of John and the boy, Tracey’s daughter confirmed that the boy in the photo was the son of a close friend of theirs.

When the police visited the family, they found Tyler safe at home with his parents. Tyler was not his real name.

Tracey confessed everything. When John broke up with her over text she wanted revenge so told him she was pregnant. The lie then took on a life of its own, resulting in her claiming over £15 000 in maintenance, for a child she looked after when her friend needed a sitter.

For convincing a man that he had a son, Tracey Hardy was sentenced to two years in prison. She pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and fraud.

It started off as a little lie and it got bigger and bigger. To be perfectly honest I’m glad that it’s over. — Tracey Hardy

John lives daily with the grief that he lost his son, that never existed. He has written to the parents of the child, to tell them how lucky they are to have such a beautiful little boy. He has a small box with a bottle and first shoes for Tyler in his wardrobe.