Alleged stalker tells of tears outside McCann family home

A woman accused of stalking the parents of Madeleine McCann has said there were tears from her and the missing girl’s mother during a face-to-face encounter outside the family home.

Julia Wandelt – who a court heard has claimed she is Madeleine – is giving evidence at the trial, in which she and co-defendant Karen Spragg are charged with stalking Kate and Gerry McCann.

The 24-year-old said she and Mrs Spragg approached Mrs McCann outside her home on 7 December 2024 to present her with a DNA report in a bid to prove she is Madeleine.

“She started crying straight away, I got too upset,” Miss Wandelt said. The court heard Mr McCann then returned home and said: “Julia, I think you need help.”

Leicester Crown Court has been told that a DNA test was taken from Miss Wandelt when she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February this year, which “conclusively proved” she is not the missing child.

Madeleine’s disappearance at the age of three in Portugal in 2007 is one of the most widely reported missing child cases and remains unsolved.

On Tuesday, the court heard Miss Wandelt stayed with Mrs Spragg in Cardiff before they drove to the McCanns home in Rothley, Leicestershire.

Upon arrival, Miss Wandelt said: “I said ‘Kate’. She turned around, she started crying, I started crying.

“She started crying straight away, I got too upset. I planned to say other things, I did not say any of them.

“I said ‘I would like to speak with you and can we speak for like two minutes?’ She said no. She said she will call the police. I said the police don’t care. I think I said if she wants to call the police she can – maybe I said it.”

Miss Wandelt told the court her 61-year-old co-defendant was behind her and said “do you want to find your daughter?”

In response, Mrs McCann said: “I do, but I don’t need this.”

The court heard Mrs McCann then went inside.

Miss Wandelt said she did not attempt to touch Mrs McCann “at all” and added: “A lot of people told me to take her hair, but I would never do this.”

The jury heard Mr McCann then arrived home, and Miss Wandelt attempted to pass him a DNA report, which the court heard was put together by US DNA expert Dr Monte Miller.

Mr McCann told the defendant “Julia, I think you need help”, before going inside the house.

She told the court she did not have the finances to pay for a private test, so sent out emails hoping someone would reply to her, and received pro-bono help from Dr Miller.

The court heard Dr Miller sent a report which Miss Wandelt said: “From my understanding, he said the DNA matches very well”, and showed “a close relationship”.

The court has previously heard from Det Ch Insp Mark Cramwell, of Operation Grange – the name of the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance – who said DNA samples of Miss Wandelt were taken on her arrest.

“It conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann,” he said.

The court also heard extracts from several messages and voicemails left by Miss Wandelt to Mrs McCann, including “numerous contacts” on 13 April 2024.

Jurors were told voice calls and texts were “happening in a very close time to each other”.

Miss Wandelt said “me possibly being Madeleine was bigger” than the potential upset that could be caused to the family.

One correspondence during that time period heard Miss Wandelt say: “I just need one call and that is all.”

The court heard another message from Miss Wandelt, describing a memory she had from just before Madeleine McCann disappeared.

Tom Price KC, defending, said: “You seem to be setting out a memory of the abduction of Madeleine that took place in Portugal.”

Miss Wandelt said that was a memory that came to her in pieces, but she did not intend to cause any distress to Madeleine’s mother when she sent it.

Miss Wandelt’s messages said she “really believed” she was Madeleine, the court heard.

One message from her to Mrs McCann said: “Please don’t think Madeleine is dead. This is a chance. It will cost you nothing to talk to me.”

The court also heard Fia Johansson, an American woman, contacted Miss Wandelt in February 2023 after she went public with her story that she is believed she was missing Madeleine.

Jurors heard the pair had a WhatsApp phone call before they both flew out to Los Angeles in the US.

Miss Wandelt said: “She organised interviews, not sure actually how or why. I did not see the point, for example, going on Dr Phil. It was all her idea.”

The defendant told the jury she did not get paid to appear on the Dr Phil show, hosted by Phil McGraw – one of the top chat show hosts in the US – in March 2023.

The trial continues.