Women accosted Madeleine McCann’s family outside their home, court hears

Two women accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s family turned up outside her parents’ home and accosted them, a court has heard.

Julia Wandelt, 24, who a jury heard has repeatedly claimed she was their missing daughter Madeleine, and Karen Spragg are on trial charged with stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this year.

On Tuesday, Leicester Crown Court heard Mrs McCann was confronted by Ms Wandelt with a demand for a DNA test, with the defendants accused of trying to force a letter into Mr McCann’s hand on 7 December last year.

Ms Wandelt, of Jana Kochanowskiego in Lubin, Poland, and Mrs Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, deny the charges.

Michael Duck KC, prosecuting, said with Ms Wandelt’s attempts to contact the McCanns from her native Poland “rebuffed on hundreds of occasions”, she made arrangements to visit the UK to approach the couple at a 2024 vigil – held annually to mark Madeleine’s disappearance – on 3 May in Rothley, Leicestershire.

He said it would have been “the last approach any parent would have wanted in the circumstances”, but by chance the couple were away.

Instead, Ms Wandelt approached relatives and the village priest, passing a letter to Mrs McCann’s great-aunt.

The following day, Ms Wandelt left a handwritten note on the family’s doorstep asking for a DNA test, the court heard.

Before leaving the country, the jury was told she visited Charing Cross police station in London where a DNA sample was taken but later destroyed.

Ms Wandelt began to “spread the net” and seek contact with people she felt were close with the McCanns, including David Payne, who with his wife Fiona had been with them on the night Madeleine went missing in Portugal on 3 May 2007.

Despite a failure to contact the McCanns through daughter Amelie, Ms Wandelt also messaged twin brother Sean, who did not engage with her, the court was told.

Police had warned Ms Wandelt she faced arrest if she returned to Leicestershire, which Ms Wandelt called a threat on a podcast “in an attempt to give some credence to her claims”, the prosecution added.

Mr Duck KC added: “One of the readily anticipated consequences of making claims to be Madeleine McCann is that it will necessarily create significant media interest.

“It will also attract the interest of those who choose to perpetuate the false allegations which Madeleine’s disappearance has generated.

“Karen Spragg who sits in the dock was one such person.”

Co-defendant Mrs Spragg became a “forthright” supporter of Ms Wandelt’s and the “conspiracy theory” that Madeleine’s parents were involved in her disappearance, said Mr Duck KC.

He said: “The vitriol which was contained within her communications was more than evident.”

Mrs Spragg became “a confidante” and later took “an active role” in assisting Ms Wandelt in her futile attempts to contact the McCanns, Mr Duck KC said.

The messaging became “vitriolic”, with Mrs Spragg contacting police investigators, and saying: “Everyone knows the McCanns are guilty and you know the truth and a massive cover-up is happening.”

The pair discussed “pretty extraordinary” plans, including going through bins from the McCanns’ address to find a DNA sample, the jury heard.

Mr Duck KC said: “The ends to which they were prepared to go were remarkable. This was not going to stop.”

In late 2024, the court heard Ms Wandelt flew to East Midlands Airport to be greeted by Mrs Spragg, with the car she was driving tracked via automatic number plate recognition to the Ibis Hotel in Birstall, then on to Rothley.

CCTV showed the car near to the family’s home.

Mrs McCann arrived home first and “was accosted” by Ms Wandelt, who tried to stop her entering her property, while she said Mrs Spragg had been “aggressive”.

Inside, she called her husband while the defendants “continued to bang on the front door”.

When Mr McCann arrived, they tried to force a letter into his hand, Mr Duck KC said, and police were called.

Mr Duck KC said: “It was the plainest of intrusions and the fear it caused was inevitable.”

A note was posted through their front door the following day from Ms Wandelt, signed off “lots of love, Madeleine”.

The court was told then defendants continued to make claims about Ms Wandelt’s identity, of the McCanns’ involvement in their daughter’s disappearance – including in a WhatsApp group that Mrs McCann’s number was added to – and made further plans to visit in February and “stake out” the following year’s annual vigil and harass the couple.

Mrs Spragg appears to have paid for Ms Wandelt’s travel, Mr Duck KC added.

Ms Wandelt was arrested in February after arriving at Bristol Airport, with Mrs Spragg also detained in a nearby car park.

The trial continues.