Kate McCann became emotional and threatened to involve the authorities when a woman accused of stalking the McCann family showed up at their residence, according to testimony in court.
Julia Wandelt, hailing from Lubin, Poland, shared with Leicester Crown Court that she approached Mrs. McCann at their Leicester home last December, hoping to engage in conversation while believing she could be the missing daughter, Madeleine.
Mrs. McCann immediately became tearful upon seeing the 24-year-old, as recounted by Wandelt, who had been waiting at the property alongside Karen Spragg, 61, of Caerau, Cardiff.
Following the encounter, Wandelt stated that Mrs. McCann threatened to contact the police, prompting her to leave and later send a letter signed as “Lots of love, Madeleine.”
During the court proceedings, Wandelt described the emotional exchange, mentioning that Mrs. McCann declined to converse and threatened police involvement. Wandelt expressed her desire for a brief conversation, but Mrs. McCann refused.
Wandelt also recounted that Spragg suggested Mrs. McCann find her daughter, to which Mrs. McCann replied she desired to find her daughter but did not need the situation at hand. Spragg insisted that the woman they encountered was Mrs. McCann’s daughter, an assertion Mrs. McCann denied.
The court was informed that Wandelt attempted to hand over documents to Mrs. McCann without success.
Following the incident, Wandelt mentioned that Mrs. McCann retreated indoors, and Gerry McCann, upon returning home, suggested Wandelt seek help.
Furthermore, the court heard that Wandelt subsequently sent a letter on December 7, 2024, starting with “dear mum” and ending with “lots of love, Madeleine,” expressing her quest for the truth and urging Mrs. McCann to consider a DNA test.
The court also learned about other messages sent by Wandelt to Mrs. McCann, including one detailing a memory related to Madeleine’s disappearance. Wandelt clarified that she did not intend to cause distress with these messages.
Wandelt and Spragg have denied the charges of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, causing significant distress between June 2022 and February 2025.
The trial is ongoing.