Woman found guilty of harassing Madeleine McCann’s parents

A woman who repeatedly claimed to be Madeleine McCann was found guilty of harassing the missing girl’s parents, but acquitted of a more serious charge of harassment.

Julia Wandelt and her follower Karen Spragg, who was acquitted of all charges, were accused of mounting a “campaign of harassment” against Kate and Gerry McCann, which in Wandelt’s case lasted more than two years.

Wandelt, 24, of Lubin, Poland, was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of harassment and sentenced to six months in prison, which she has already served, after being in custody since February.

In a statement, the McCanns said that despite the guilty verdict, they were “not pleased with the outcome.”

In the statement, the McCanns said they did not want to go through the court process, but that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) made the decision to prosecute, based on evidence gathered by police.

“We hope that Ms. Wandelt receives the appropriate care and support she needs and that no one takes advantage of any vulnerabilities,” they said.

“If anyone has new evidence related to Madeleine’s disappearance, please report it to the police.”

Wandelt was sentenced during a hearing at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

During her sentencing remarks, Judge Cutts said she accepted that the Polish national “did not have an easy childhood”.

But he said his family history “did not justify the way he behaved.”

“It has been confirmed that in this case you are not Madeleine McCann,” he said.

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

The judge said the McCanns had “the right to leave the matter in the hands of the police and refuse to talk to you, especially in the sad circumstances they live in.”

And he added: “His constant annoyance, harassment and, finally, attendance at his home on a dark December afternoon was unjustified.”

The judge also granted a restraining order preventing Wandelt and Mrs Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, from contacting the McCanns, visiting Leicestershire or publishing any broadcasts relating to the family.

Wandelt’s order will remain in effect indefinitely, or until a new ruling is issued, while Ms. Spragg’s order will be in effect for five years.

In the ongoing trial, Wandelt has claimed to be Madeleine, whose disappearance during a family vacation in Portugal in 2007 has never been clarified, since 2022.

The results of a DNA test conducted after her arrest in February of this year “conclusively proved” that she is not the missing girl, but during questioning, Wandelt told the court he was still “50-50” about her identity.

At trial, Wandelt previously claimed they were two other missing children before claiming she was Madeleine.

Giving evidence, he told the jury he had limited memories of his childhood and could “only remember the abuse” after experiences with his adoptive grandfather.

He began communicating with the McCann family through Glenfield Hospital, where Madeleine’s parents worked, in June 2022 and then the Metropolitan Police investigation into the missing girl.

Police investigated Wandelt’s claims and called her to “assure” her that she was not Madeleine, the court heard, but the contact moved on to attempting to contact the McCanns directly, whose personal details had been included in a leaked Portuguese police file published online.

Mrs McCann was subsequently “bombarded” with more than 60 calls and messages in one day, the court was told.

McCann told the court on another occasion that he responded by saying “something like ‘you’re not Madeleine’.”

He said statements like Wandelt’s “move you” but were “detrimental” to the search for his daughter.

The court heard that Madeleine’s younger siblings, Amelie, and then Sean, were contacted by Wandelt through social media, and friends and associates of the family, including the parish priest, received communications, as late as February 2025.

But attempts to pressure the McCanns into taking a DNA test weren’t just done remotely.

Wandelt attended a vigil for Madeleine where she attempted to deliver an envelope to organizer Janet Kennedy, Madeleine’s great-aunt.

She said she “tried to be polite and calm” but told the jury she was “surprised” by the approach.

Mrs Kennedy later tore up the letter, the court heard.

After learning of Wandelt’s visit to the vigil and then to Charing Cross police station to have DNA taken, which was later destroyed, Detective Mark Draycott told the trial that he called Wandelt a second time to say “in no uncertain terms” that she was not Madeleine.

He warned her that if she returned to Leicestershire she could face harassment charges.

The conversation, which was played in court, was recorded without Detective Con Draycott’s knowledge, heard by the jury and uploaded to a YouTube crime podcast with Wandelt.

Prosecutor Michael Duck KC said it was around this time that Mrs Spragg, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, entered into an online relationship with Wandelt to support her claims and “conspiracy theories”.

A WhatsApp exchange in November 2024 between Wandelt and Mrs Spragg included jokes about going through the McCanns’ rubbish bins and stealing cutlery from a restaurant after they visited to obtain DNA, the court heard.

Giving evidence behind a privacy screen, Ms McCann testified that she was distraught after being confronted in the driveway by the defendants, who asked for a DNA test, in December 2024.

She said she felt “invaded in her own home”, while McCann, who had arrived shortly afterwards, told the court: “It brings back a lot of horrible memories of when the media was camped outside our house.”

Wandelt appeared on Dr. Phil in the US, which prosecutors say kept his public profile high, and had planned further media appearances upon his return to the UK when both defendants were instead arrested in February 2025.

During cross-examination, Wandelt said he was still “50-50” about being Madeleine, even though DNA testing by police after the arrests conclusively showed that he is not.

She questioned the authenticity of the DNA results when the results were reported at HMP Peterborough on April 1 this year, and demanded to see “all the paperwork”.