When Julia Wandelt, a 24‑year‑old Polish national, stepped into Leicester Crown Court on 6 October 2025, the courtroom buzzed with a mix of disbelief and dread. Wandelt faces multiple counts of stalking against Kate McCann and her husband Gerry McCann, the parents of the missing Madeleine McCann. The trial, overseen by His Honour Judge Robert Brown, is the latest chapter in a saga that has haunted the UK and Portugal for nearly two decades.
Background: The 2007 disappearance that never let go
The McCann case began on 3 May 2007 when the three‑year‑old Madeleine McCann vanished from the family’s holiday apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Algarve, Portugal. An evening dinner at a nearby tapas bar turned into a worldwide manhunt that spanned 167 countries, according to Interpol. Despite countless leads, no conclusive evidence has emerged, leaving the McCanns in a perpetual state of mourning and media scrutiny.
How Wandelt entered the picture
Wandelt’s obsession reportedly sprouted from “recovered memories” she claimed to have unearthed during therapy in Warsaw in 2021. Believing herself to be the missing girl, she journeyed to the United Kingdom, first contacting the McCanns by phone and later, in December 2024, showing up at their Leicester home. The encounter turned unsettling when she addressed Kate as “mum”, demanded a DNA test, and tried to force the front door shut – a moment captured in court testimony.
Stalking campaign: numbers that tell a story
Prosecutors presented a forensic log revealing 217 text messages, 89 phone calls, and 43 emails sent between Jan 1 2025 and Feb 14 2025. The most intense burst occurred between 15‑24 December 2024, when Wandelf reached out 37 times in just ten days. The data, supplied by Leicester Police Constable Sarah Jenkins, bolsters the charge that the campaign spanned from June 2022 to February 2025 under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
Co‑defendant and legal strategies
Wandelt did not act alone. Karen Spragg, a 38‑year‑old from Manchester, stands accused of facilitating the harassment. Their defence, led by Richard Howson KC of Garden Court Chambers, argues the alleged behaviour is protected speech under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Crown, however, points to the physical intrusion at the McCanns’ residence as a clear violation of the law.
Impact on the McCann family
Kate, a general practitioner at Loughborough Health Centre, testified that the relentless communication drove her to consider a DNA test “just to put it to bed”. She emphasized that photographs of Wandelf made it obvious she was not Madeleine. Gerry, an orthopaedic surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, was shown on video repeatedly telling the intruder, “You’re not Madeleine.” The McCanns’ legal team, headed by Simon Davies of Carter‑Ruck LLP, has logged 347 separate stalking incidents since 2007, underscoring a pattern of harassment that extends well beyond Wandelf’s case.
Judicial response and restraining measures
Judge Brown issued a temporary restraining order on 7 October 2025, banning both defendants from approaching within 100 metres of the McCanns’ Leicester home. Breaching that order could add up to two years to any eventual sentence. If convicted, each could face up to ten years behind bars under Section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
What’s next: timeline to verdict
The trial is slated to run until 17 October 2025, with closing arguments expected that week. A jury of twelve will then deliberate in private, a process that could stretch into November. Regardless of the outcome, the case shines a spotlight on the broader issue of obsessive fans and false claimants, a phenomenon that has swelled with the rise of social media platforms.
Broader context: false identity claims in high‑profile cases
Legal scholars note that Wandelf’s claim mirrors other notorious cases – from the “Megan Thee Stallion” impersonator to the “Cassandra” impostor in a UK inheritance dispute. Experts warn that the internet amplifies such behaviour, making it harder for victims to regain privacy. Professor Laura McCarthy of the University of Leicester’s School of Law says the trial could set a precedent for how courts balance free expression with personal safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this trial affect the McCann family’s search for Madeleine?
The trial doesn’t change the unresolved nature of Madeleine’s disappearance, but it provides the family a legal avenue to stop harmful false claims. By securing a restraining order, the McCanns can focus on genuine investigative leads without the distraction of impostors.
What legal precedent could result from Wandelf’s defence of free speech?
If the court rejects the Article 10 defence, it may reinforce that harassment outweighs expressive rights when personal safety is at stake. Conversely, a ruling in favour of Wandelf could tighten guidelines around what qualifies as protected speech in stalking cases.
Who else has faced similar false‑identity accusations?
There have been several high‑profile impostor cases, such as a woman who claimed to be missing heiress Alexandra Miller in 2022 and a man who pretended to be a long‑dead musician in 2023. In each instance, courts have grappled with balancing victims’ rights against the defendants’ claims of mental illness or artistic performance.
What penalties could Wandelf and Spragg face if convicted?
Each could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison, plus potentially unlimited fines and a post‑conviction restraining order. The judge may also order them to pay compensation to the McCanns for emotional distress.
What safeguards exist to prevent future stalking of high‑profile families?
UK law already allows for extended protection orders, and police can monitor online harassment more closely. After this trial, lawmakers are expected to review whether tighter digital‑platform regulations are needed to curb obsessive fan behaviour.
