Girl discovered responsible of harassing Madeleine McCann's dad and mom

A lady who repeatedly claimed to be Madeleine McCann has been discovered responsible of harassing the dad and mom of a lacking woman, however has been cleared of the extra critical cost of stalking.

Julia Wandelt and her supporter Karen Sprague – who was acquitted of all prices – have been accused of waging a “campaign of harassment” towards Kate and Gerry McCann, which lasted greater than two years in Wandelt's case.

Wandelt, 24, of Lublin, Poland, was discovered responsible of a lesser cost of harassment and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which she has already served. She has been in custody since February.

In a press release, the McCanns mentioned that, regardless of the responsible verdict, they’d “no joy in the outcome”.

In the assertion, the McCanns mentioned they didn’t need to undergo the courtroom course of, however the resolution was taken to prosecute by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) based mostly on proof collected by police.

He mentioned, “We hope that Ms. Wandelt will receive the appropriate care and support that she needs and that any vulnerabilities will not be exploited by others.”

“If anyone has new evidence relating to Madeleine's disappearance, please pass it on to the police.”

Wandelt was sentenced at a listening to at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

During her sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Cutts mentioned she accepted the Polish nationwide “did not have an easy childhood”.

But she mentioned his household historical past “does not justify the way you have behaved”.

“In this case it has been confirmed that you are not Madeleine McCann,” he mentioned.

“There was no reasonable or logical basis for this.”

The choose mentioned the McCann household had the fitting “to leave matters to the police and to refuse to engage with you particularly given the tragic circumstances they are living through”.

He added, “It was inappropriate for you to continue to harass, harass and, ultimately, attend his home address on a dark evening in December.”

The choose additionally granted a restraining order stopping each Wandelt, 61, of Carrow Court Road, Cardiff, and Mrs Sprague from contacting the McCanns, touring to Leicestershire or publishing any broadcasts regarding the household.

Wandelt's order will stay in place indefinitely, or till one other resolution is made, whereas Mrs. Sprague's order will stay in place for 5 years.

The trial heard that Wandelt claimed to be Madeleine, whose disappearance throughout a household vacation in Portugal in 2007 has remained unsolved since 2022.

The outcomes of DNA testing carried out after her arrest in February this 12 months “conclusively proved” that she was not the lacking youngster, however, underneath cross-examination, Wandelt instructed the courtroom she was nonetheless “50-50” about her identification.

The trial heard that Wandelt had beforehand claimed to be two different lacking youngsters and claimed to be Madeleine.

Giving proof, she instructed the jury that her recollections of her childhood have been restricted and that she “can only remember the abuse” after experiences along with her step-grandfather.

She started reaching out to the McCann household in June 2022 by Glenfield Hospital, the place Madeleine's dad and mom labored, after which the Metropolitan Police investigation into the lacking youngster.

Police regarded into Wandelt's claims and known as her to “resure” she was not Madeleine, the courtroom heard, however the contact ended up trying to succeed in McCann immediately, whose private particulars have been included in a leaked Portuguese police file and posted on-line.

Mrs McCann was later “bombarded” with greater than 60 calls and messages in a single day, the courtroom was instructed.

Mr McCann instructed the courtroom on one other event, he responded by saying “something like, 'You're not Madeleine'”.

He mentioned Wandelt's claims “make your heart skip a beat” however are “detrimental” to the seek for his daughter.

The courtroom heard that Madeleine's youthful siblings Emily after which Shaun have been contacted by Wandelt on social media, and household pals and associates – together with the parish priest – acquired communications way back to February 2025.

But the hassle to strain the McCanns into DNA testing was not the one one from afar.

Wandelt attended a vigil for Madeleine the place he tried at hand an envelope to organizer Janet Kennedy, Madeleine's aunt.

She mentioned she “tried to remain polite and calm”, however instructed the jury she was “shocked” by the method.

The courtroom heard that Mrs Kennedy later tore up the letter.

After changing into conscious of Wandelt's surveillance after which the go to to Charing Cross police station to take DNA – which was later destroyed – taken, Det Con Mark Draycott instructed the trial that he known as Wandelt a second time to inform him “in no uncertain terms” that she was not Madeleine.

They suggested her that she may face harassment prices if she returned to Leicestershire.

The dialog – which was performed in courtroom – was recorded with out Det Con Draycott's information, heard by the jury, and uploaded to the YouTube crime podcast with Wandelt.

Prosecutor Michael Duck Casey mentioned it was round this time that Mrs Sprague, of Carrow Court Road, Cardiff, linked up with Wandelt on-line to help his claims and “conspiracy theories”.

A WhatsApp trade between Wandelt and Mrs Sprague in November 2024 included jokes about checking McCann's bins and stealing cutlery from a restaurant after going to get DNA, the courtroom heard.

Giving proof from behind a privateness display, Mrs McCann testified she was distressed after being confronted in her driveway by the defendants in December 2024, who pleaded for a DNA take a look at.

She mentioned she felt “attacked in my own home”, whereas Mr McCann, who arrived a short while later, instructed the courtroom: “It brings back a lot of horrible memories of the time when the media was camped out outside our house.”

Wandelt appeared on Dr. Phil within the US, which prosecutors mentioned raised her public profile, and he or she deliberate to make additional media appearances upon returning to the UK, however each defendants have been arrested in February 2025.

During cross-examination, Wandelt mentioned she was nonetheless “50-50” about it being Madeleine, regardless of DNA testing carried out by police after her arrest proving that she was not Madeleine.

When introduced with the outcomes at HMP Peterborough on April 1 this 12 months, he questioned the authenticity of the DNA outcomes and demanded to see “the full paperwork”.