Leicester Crown Court heard Kate McCann threatened to call the police after Julia Wandelt, who claimed to be missing Madeleine, turned up at the McCanns’ home
Kate McCann was left in tears and threatened to call the police after the woman accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s family turned up at their home, a court heard.
Julia Wandelt, from Lubin, Poland, told Leicester Crown Court today that she approached Mrs McCann at her family home in Leicester last December hoping to speak with the woman while believing she could be her missing daughter.
Mrs McCann started “crying straight away” after turning to see the 24-year-old, she said, when she greeted the mum after waiting at the property alongside Karen Spragg, 61, of Caerau, Cardiff.
Wandelt said she left after Mrs McCann threatened to call the police, and it was heard she followed up with a letter she signed: “Lots of love, Madeleine.”
Recounting the interaction, Wandelt told the court: “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.”
Wandelt said that during the interaction, Spragg said: “Do you want to find your daughter?” To which Mrs McCann replied: “I do, but I don’t need this.” Wandelt added that Spragg told the mum: “She is your daughter,” prompting Mrs McCann to insist: “She’s not my daughter.”
The jury heard Wandelt had also tried unsuccessfully to hand Mrs McCann her documents.
Wandelt said Mrs McCann went inside the house, and added: “I knocked the door, I was crying but did not bang the door. I was crying mostly and Karen tried to calm me down. She wanted us to go.” When Gerry McCann returned home shortly after, the court heard he told Wandelt: “Julia, I think you need help.”
The court heard Wandelt followed up that face-to-face meeting with a letter on December 7, 2024, which she started with “dear mum” and ended with “lots of love, Madeleine”.
Wandelt’s barrister, Tom Price KC, read the letter out in court: “All I want is to find out the truth. I have memories and I have gathered a lot of evidence supporting my case. I don’t understand why you don’t want to do a DNA test with me. I think you are scared, but whatever makes you scared, just remember that you are stronger than that.
“Yesterday, I heard a lot of care and love in your voice. I believe and I hope you will find a way to contact me.”
The court heard other messages Wandelt sent to Mrs McCann including one in which she described a memory she had from just before Madeleine McCann disappeared. Mr Price KC said: “You seem to be setting out a memory of the abduction of Madeleine that took place in Portugal.” Wandelt said the memory came to her in pieces, but she did not intend to cause any distress when she sent it.
In one message also read out to the court, she said: “I will never give up, I need you to know I’m telling the truth. I cry when I hear your voice.”
Wandelt and Spragg deny stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, causing serious alarm and distress between June 2022 and February 2025.
The trial continues.
