Julia Wandelt, 24, from Poland, is on trial along with Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, accused of stalking the McCann family while making false claims that she is Madeleine
The family of Madeleine McCann have told of everything from “creepy” messages to ‘astounding’ Masons conspiracy claims in the stalking trial of a woman who is said to have claimed to be missing Madeleine.
Madeleine’s siblings Amelie and Sean gave evidence today about how they were allegedly pursued online by Julia Wandelt, 24, who was trying to convince them that she was their missing sister. Prosecutors allege Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, peddled the myth that she was Madeleine – who went missing in Portugal in 2007 – while stalking Madeleine’s parents by sending emails, making phone calls and turning up at their address.
She, along with co-accused Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, deny a count of stalking causing serious alarm and distress to Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this year.
Parents Kate and Gerry McCann have also both taken this stand at Leicester Crown Court this week and claimed that wild accusations were thrown at them while they did not believe Spragg was Madeleine. The jury was told at the start of proceedings on Monday by the prosecution that there was “unequivocal scientific evidence” that Wandelt was not related to the McCanns.
Sister’s claims of ‘creepy’ messages
Amelie, the sister of missing Madeleine, told the jury it was “creepy” that Wandelt sent her messages detailing apparent memories she had from their childhood. Giving evidence remotely, Miss McCann said Facebook contact from Wandelt, 24, in January 2024 made her feel uncomfortable.
Prosecutor Nadia Silver said the messages from Wandelt included requests for a DNA test and alleged memories such as playing Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses along with other children. Asked how the messages made her feel, Miss McCann said: “It makes me feel quite uncomfortable because it is quite creepy she is giving those details and trying to play with my emotions.”
‘Extreme’ attempts to make contact
Wandelt also reached out to Amelie on LinkedIn in September last year which Miss McCann felt was “extreme”. She told Leicester Crown Court today: “I don’t think she contacted me after I blocked her but in the September she did reach out on LinkedIn which was somewhere she hadn’t messaged me before.
“She literally did try… to reach me in any way possible. I thought that was quite extreme reaching out to me on a job platform.” Miss McCann said she had also received a number of social media messages from other people on behalf of Wandelt, or supporting her cause.
She said: “There was people messaging me about Julia and saying not to be rude, but out of interest why aren’t you doing a DNA test, that sort of thing. Someone sent me a YouTube video of her, but I didn’t actually watch it.”
Wandelt behaviour ‘deeply disturbing’
The court heard Sean McCann said he did not want anything to do with Wandelt and found what she was doing “deeply disturbing”. His statement to the court said: “I’m aware Julia may be suffering from some sort of mental health. If, however, she’s fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims she is, that will be very upsetting for me.
“I do not believe she is my sister. The fact Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of stress and I find it deeply disturbing. As well as the messages Julia sent me, she also tagged me in a lot of things on Instagram. I chose not to look at what she tagged me in because I was not interested in what had to say and do not believe she is Madeleine .
“I find it strange and upsetting so I did not want anything to do with her.” He said his family have had “unwanted distress over a very sensitive and traumatic matter”, since Madeleine went missing.
‘Cover up and Masons’ claims
Gerry McCann has told how claims of a Madeleine “cover up” and the “Masons” were made when the two defendants turned up at the family home. He told the court how they went to their house in December last year and made conspiracy claims.
He said how they first started banging on the door and “shouting” and then of his interaction with Wandelt and Spragg, he continued: “She (Spragg) said something about a cover up and also of me being a member of the Masons. I was pretty astounded. I don’t know much about the Masons, I did not know they allow Catholics in – I said something like that. She said again about covering up.”
False claims ‘pull at heartstrings’
Mr McCann also said people claiming to be Madeleine “pulls your heartstrings” as the family still has a “glimmer” of hope that she will be found alive, a stalking trial heard. During his evidence Gerry said: “Well, we know she’s not our daughter. It has many effects – we don’t know what happened to Madeleine. There’s no evidence to say she’s dead.
“We really hope, and we know it’s only a glimmer, that Madeleine is alive. When so many people claim to be our missing daughter, it inevitably pulls your heartstrings, but there is a wider effect that is more damaging.”
Mr McCann also said there were people that “crazily” believe conspiracy theories, including that he and his wife Kate do not want to find their missing daughter. He added: “That’s detrimental to any existing investigation and obviously we have always put that (the inquiry) first.”
‘I want Madeleine to call me mum’
Kate McCann said she wanted to hear Madeleine “call me mum” as she revealed what she wants the most regarding her missing daughter. She told how Wandelt, said “I’m your daughter'” and “she called me mum”. Kate also said she received a letter from Wandelt signed ‘Madeleine x’ the day after the alleged visit to her home.
The mum was asked about the impact that letter had, sharing what was particularly difficult for her. Kate said: “That’s an example of the thing that was getting to me. It’s obvious the thing I want most is for Madeleine to be back, I want Madeleine to call me ‘mum’, so that was really distressing for me. Referring to me as her mum is hard.”
‘Called over 60 times in a day’
Prosecutor Michael Duck told jurors that Wandelt was “not deterred” by the refusal of the McCanns to engage with her. The court heard she obtained Kate’s mobile phone number and began ringing her. He claimed on a single day in April last year, she called and messaged her over 60 times.
‘I know things only Madeleine would know’
Wandelt allegedly wrote to Kate McCann saying: “Hello I’m Julia and I think I’m your daughter Madeleine … I can prove it’s me. I know things that only Madeleine knew and Gerry would know. I beg you, you’re my real mother. Give me a chance to prove it. You are mommy, you know it’s me.”
Messages allegedly sent to Kate by Wandelt also included: “I never lied, I’m not crazy, please let me prove it” and “I can prove it’s me.” In a voicemail played to the court, Wandelt allegedly told Kate: “Please try you have nothing to lose. If I’m not then I will leave you alone. Just think about it. I know my accent is Polish because I lived here since I can remember.
“I know I’m fat and not pretty like Madeleine was in the past but I know what I know and I know what I remember. I don’t want money. I just want one call and then I’ll leave you alone. Give me a chance, don’t give up on your daughter. I’m not crazy, I just want to know the truth. You have no reason to reject me.”
‘Wicked proposition’
In another message Wandelt allegedly wrote to Kate McCann: “I remember how you hugged me and a pink teddy bear. I remember that you came to the room before the abduction happened and were rubbing my head and said you will find me.”
Mr Duck described that passage as a “particularly wicked proposition”. Madeleine’s disappearance during a family holiday at the age of three in Portugal’s Algarve in 2007 remains unsolved.
The trial continues.