Abuse victims of air cadet leader secure nearly £2.5m in compensation from Ministry of Defence
Call for others to come forward in wake of latest prosecution
The Ministry of Defence has paid nearly £2.5 million in compensation to victims and survivors who were abused by an air cadet leader.
Ronald Hardman has received three different jail terms from crimes against 17 boys.
The 81 year-old was a trusted volunteer warrant officer at 327 Squadron of the Air Training Corps (ATC) in the East Ayrshire town of Kilmarnock for more than three decades.
However, he attacked boys in his care at different locations, including the squadron hall, a campsite, and his car.
Now, lawyers representing the survivors of Hardman’s abuse have revealed the extent of the compensation payments that have been issued by the MoD. His victims have received payments with individual settlements ranging from £150,000 to £750,000.
But they expressed concern that “dozens more people” are likely to have been impacted by Hardman’s abuse, and have encouraged them to report their experience to police.
Hardman’s crimes first came to light in 2018 when he was jailed for five years after being found guilty of abusing three cadets between 1981 and 1995.
Police Scotland said he had used his position of power to commit “horrendous” crimes against young boys who should have been safe in his care.
The case sparked an extensive police investigation which saw more than 300 cadets spoken to by officers, resulting in a slew of new allegations against the former heating engineer, who left his role with the ATC in 1998.
In 2019, Hardman was then given a nine-year jail sentence after admitting to 15 further charges against 12 boys which related to lewd and libidinous behaviour and indecent assault.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that one boy, who was aged 13 when he joined the ATC, was abused between 15 to 20 times.
It was told that Hardman used his position to “groom and control” the cadets. He would also try to buy their silence by giving them money, sweets or takeaway meals.
Prosecutors said many of Hardman’s victims had suffered years of anxiety and trauma as a result of his criminality.
In May 2025, he was convicted for a third time at the High Court in Glasgow of molesting two other boys between 1988 and 1993. He was jailed for eight years by judge Douglas Brown.
Richard Pitts, partner at Digby Brown solicitors, and a specialist in military claims, said: “The scale of Hardman’s abuse is unlike anything we’ve seen before.
“Ever since his crimes first came to light eight years ago there’s just been a continuous prosecution and charge sheet against him, and rightly so.”
He added: “The passage of time should never prevent abusers from being brought to justice but the reality is that Hardman is now in his eighties so I’d encourage those who are yet to step forward to do so now while he can still be questioned and civil actions can be pursued.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Ronald Hardman's crimes were heinous and deeply shocking. Our thoughts remain with the victims of his abuse.
“We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to protect young people, including mandatory security and background checks for all adults working with children, strict disclosure requirements, and regular safeguarding training.”