A woman facing charges of stalking the family of Madeleine McCann became emotional in court as Kate, the mother of the missing girl, testified that the accused was not her daughter. Polish national Julia Wandelt, 24, is standing trial for allegedly stalking the McCann family for over two and a half years by claiming to be the missing girl who disappeared during a family vacation in Portugal in 2007. Kate appeared as a witness at Leicester Crown Court, speaking from behind a curtain, in the trial of two women accused of stalking her, her husband, and their twin children.
During her testimony, Kate revealed that upon seeing a photo of Wandelt for the first time, it was evident that she was not Madeleine. Wandelt is accused of sending a series of communications, including letters, calls, voicemails, WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, and Instagram messages to Madeleine’s younger siblings, Amelie and Sean McCann.
Kate mentioned that she did not respond to Wandelt’s messages as she did not want to engage with her. The court heard that Wandelt obtained Kate’s mobile number and repeatedly called and messaged her. Prosecutors stated that on a single day in April last year, Wandelt contacted Kate over 60 times.
During the court proceedings, Kate was played a voicemail allegedly left by Wandelt, claiming to be Madeleine and pleading with Kate not to give up on her daughter. Kate shared that she considered taking a DNA test at one point due to Wandelt’s persistent behavior but ultimately decided against it as she was certain of the woman’s identity. Wandelt became emotional in court as Kate recounted these events.
Wandelt claimed to have memories of Madeleine’s childhood before she was supposedly taken to Poland. Kate mentioned that she first encountered Wandelt around three years ago when she contacted the hospital where Madeleine’s parents worked. Kate informed the court that she contacted the police when Wandelt attempted to reach her daughter Amelie, stating that she did not want her children involved in the situation.
In addition to Wandelt, Karen Spragg from Cardiff is also on trial for allegedly stalking the McCann family, including making calls, sending letters, and visiting their home address. Both women were reported to have waited outside the McCann family home and startled Kate upon her return. The trial is ongoing.