A 24-year-old Polish woman facing accusations of stalking Madeleine McCann’s parents under the guise of being their missing daughter expressed concerns for her safety in court. Julia Wandelt informed Leicester Crown Court about an incident in which she suspected someone in prison had tampered with her drink just days before her trial, raising worries about her well-being. She emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into her situation, stating that even if she is cleared of the charges, she would still lack clarity about her own identity.
During questioning by Karen Spragg’s barrister, Simon Russell Flint KC, Wandelt described the unsettling experience of having her drink tampered with while in prison, highlighting her ongoing safety concerns since revealing her story. She emotionally recounted her vulnerabilities, struggles with depression, past experiences of sexual violence, and being deceived by an individual named Fia Johansson. Wandelt stressed the importance of her claims being properly investigated, especially after delivering documents to the police station following a visit to the McCanns’ residence in December the previous year.
Prosecutors allege that Wandelt, hailing from Lubin, Poland, propagated the false narrative that she is Madeleine McCann while harassing Kate and Gerry McCann through emails, phone calls, and visits. She mentioned that a friend of Spragg, Steven Dempster, offered to finance a DNA test in Cardiff to support her legal actions, citing a shared experience of being wronged by an injustice.
Wandelt disclosed that Mr. Dempster conditioned his support on her refraining from contacting the McCanns during her UK visit earlier in the year, questioning the need for further communication if the McCanns had initially shown no interest. When asked if her actions were intended to distress the McCanns, Wandelt denied such intentions and described her interactions with Mrs. McCann as potentially emotionally charged due to the possibility of being her long-lost daughter.
Expressing confusion over the extensive funding allocated to the Madeleine McCann investigation, Wandelt raised concerns about the lack of a DNA test to verify her identity, suggesting a potential oversight by the Metropolitan Police. She acknowledged the support of Spragg in the matter and clarified that discussions about collecting items from the McCanns’ home were light-hearted in nature.
Wandelt and her co-defendant, 61-year-old Spragg, from Caerau, Cardiff, both plead not guilty to a single count of stalking between June 2022 and February this year. The trial is ongoing.
