Jury retires in trial of women alleged to have stalked Kate and Gerry McCann

Jurors in the trial of two women accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s parents have retired to consider their verdicts.

Prosecutors allege Polish national Julia Wandelt, 24, and her co-defendant Karen Spragg stalked Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this year by turning up at the couple’s home, making phone calls and sending them messages.

Wandelt is accused of wrongly claiming to be Madeleine, whose 2007 disappearance in Portugal has not been solved, while stalking the girl’s parents, causing serious alarm and distress.

Spragg, of Caerau Court Road in Caerau, Cardiff, and Wandelt both deny the charge against them.

The Crown put forward “unequivocal scientific evidence” from a forensic expert that shows Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, does not match Madeleine’s DNA profile and she has no familial link to the McCanns.

Wandelt told Leicester Crown Court she had childhood memories of being with the McCann family, including playing ring-a-ring-a-roses and feeding Madeleine’s younger brother Sean, as well as memories of being abducted and abused.

The Polish national is also alleged to have banged on the door of the couple’s Leicestershire address, attended a vigil for Madeleine, and sent social media messages to Sean McCann and his twin sister Amelie.

The day after both defendants attended the McCanns’ home last December, the couple received a letter from Wandelt which said “Dear Mum (Kate)” and was signed “Lots of love, Madeleine”, the court heard.

Spragg is accused of assisting Wandelt by leaving messages for Mrs McCann, sending emails and “confronting” the couple on their driveway.

The 61-year-old is alleged to have perpetuated conspiracy theories, including by telling police that Mr and Mrs McCann “arranged the kidnapping and the abduction” of their three-year-old daughter.

In his closing speech to jurors, Crown counsel Michael Duck KC accused Wandelt and Spragg of trying to “impose their will” on the McCanns despite knowing their “cruel and unforgiving” actions in relation to the couple were wrong.

Wandelt’s KC Tom Price urged jurors to acquit her, arguing that she was confused about her parental background and only approached the couple demanding a DNA test when “at the end of her tether”.

Simon Russell Flint KC, defending Spragg, used his speech to submit that Wandelt was on an “increasingly desperate quest” to try to find out and establish who she is.

He said Spragg’s sole purpose had been to find out whether Wandelt “might be the missing Madeleine” and she had been “a true friend” to her co-defendant.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Cutts asked jurors at Leicester Crown Court to begin their deliberations on Wednesday.

She told the jurors: “It’s important that you try to reach a verdict in relation to each defendant which is unanimous. Please do not feel under any pressure of time.”