A Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann bombarded the missing girl’s mother with 60 calls and messages in a single day, a court has heard.
Julia Wandelt, 24, went on trial on Monday accused of stalking Madeleine’s parents, as well as their other two children.
Ms Wandelt became obsessed with the “myth” that she had been abducted and transported to Poland, prompting her to relentlessly pursue the family with emails, phone calls and unannounced visits to their address, Leicester Crown Court heard.
She denies stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, causing serious alarm or distress, between June 2022 and February this year.
Ms Wandel denies stalking the parents and siblings of Madeleine McCann – Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire
Madeleine, then three years old, went missing from her family’s apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar.
The subsequent manhunt attracted global media attention and the case remains one of the most widely reported missing child cases.
Jurors were told that there was “unequivocal scientific evidence” that Ms Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, has no familial link to the McCanns, despite her claiming to have memories of the girl’s childhood and disappearance.
Michael Duck KC, prosecuting, said from June 2022, Ms Wandelt began trying to persuade “anybody prepared to listen” that she was Madeleine.
‘I’m not a liar, I’m not crazy’
The jury was told that she called and messaged Mrs McCann’s phone on more than 60 occasions on one day in April last year, including about her alleged memories of the girl’s abduction.
In one message, the court heard, Ms Wandelt said she remembered Mrs McCann on the night of Madeleine’s abduction “rubbing my head and said I love you and you would find me”.
A voicemail left on Mrs McCann’s phone was played to the jury in which Ms Wandelt said: “You have nothing to lose, if I’m her then everybody should be OK but if I’m not, as you probably think, then I will leave you alone.
“I know my accent is Polish because I live here, I know I look fat and I know I’m not pretty like Madeleine was in the past, but I know what I know, I know what I remember.
“Please just give me a chance, I’m not a liar, I’m not crazy; I just want to know the truth. Call me or message me or whatever please.”
The case of Madeleine McCann remains one of the most widely reported missing child cases – Everton FC/PA Wire
Mr Duck said: “One of many tragic consequences for Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, has been their constant inability to escape the glare of publicity that came with that tragedy.
“The attention they have received has not always been compassionate, sometimes far from it.
“There remains a group of individuals who continue to fail to acknowledge their plight and perpetuate conspiracy theories.”
Mr and Mrs McCann have been unable to ‘escape the glare of publicity’ that came with the tragedy – Joe Giddens/PA Wire
The prosecutor said Ms Wandelt has claimed to have “flashbacks” from hypnosis sessions, including one memory of spoon-feeding Madeleine’s younger brother.
Wendt is alleged to have called Mrs McCann “mommy” in text messages and recalled playing ring a roses in the back garden of the family’s home in Rothley, Leicestershire.
The court heard Ms Wandelt made contact with Madeleine’s younger sister saying there were “many things” she could remember and sent her images in an attempt to “persuade” her that they “were somehow related”.
Ms Wandelt is said to have also claimed to be two other missing girls.
Missing girl claims by Ms Wandelt
The court heard that Ms Wandelt contacted Missing Years Ago, a charity which helps with historic missing person cases, in January or February 2023 claiming she was Inga Gehricke who went missing in Germany aged five in 2009.
“As with Madeleine McCann, Julia Wandelt was precluded from being a realistic candidate by virtue of her age and obvious differences,” the prosecutor said.
After these claims were dismissed, Ms Wandelt claimed to be another missing girl called Acacia Bishop from Utah, the jury heard.
The hearing was paused for ten minutes when Ms Wandelt started crying and went to the back of the dock after Mr Duck said: “Can we at this very early stage in the trial make this position clear – that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”
Ms Wandelt appeared alongside Karen Spragg, 61, of Caerau, Cardiff. Both women deny stalking.
The trial continues.
Madeleine McCann, Julia Wandelt, Madeleine’s parents, Ms Wandelt
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