Vigil organiser ‘stunned’ by alleged McCann stalker’s approach, jury told

The organizer of an annual vigil to mark the disappearance of Madeleine McCann told a court he was “stunned” after he was approached by the person who was allegedly tracking the missing girl’s parents.

Julia Wandelt believed she was Madeleine and Karen Spragg is on trial accused of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, Leicester Crown Court heard.

Janet Kennedy said Ms Wandelt went to Madeleine’s memorial service on May 3, 2024, to mark her disappearance in Portugal on the same day in 2007, and gave her an envelope before asking to speak to the girl’s parents.

Mrs Kennedy took the envelope, saying she was “trying to be polite”, but later destroyed it. Ms Wandelt and Ms Spragg deny the accusations.

Giving evidence on Friday, Madeleine’s great-aunt Mrs Kennedy told the jury she was “always there for the family” and was Kate McCann’s “confidant”.

He said he had seen media reports about Ms Wandelt’s allegations ahead of the 2024 vigil, which is held annually in Rothley, Leicestershire, and said she had helped organize it each year, adding that Ms McCann had told her someone had “sent a message”.

Ms. Kennedy said court rain disrupted her preparations and last year’s vigil was moved to the nearby Baptist Church.

As people gathered, the parish priest, the Rev. Robert Gladstone, who gave evidence on Friday, told the court he was approached by someone who said her name was Julia and asked to be introduced to the McCanns.

Rev Gladstone, who officiated the 2024 ceremony, said he was “bluffing” because he was busy and aware Mr and Mrs McCann were not attending, but after the ceremony Ms Wandelt told him: “That was Madeleine, she had been abused as a child and the people who brought her up were not her real parents.”

The Rev. Gladstone said he “pretty much” rejected Ms. Wandelt’s claim and had no plans to take her to any family.

But Ms. Kennedy said a minister approached her and said someone wanted to speak to a family member.

She told the court it was Ms Wandelt, who was “with a male friend”.

Ms Kennedy said Ms Wandelt told her “she was Madeleine” and that an envelope was found for the McCanns “containing information to prove she was Madeleine”.

He “tried to remain polite and calm” but told the jury he was “stunned” and took the envelope before telling Ms Wandelt to contact investigators working on Operation Grange, the Metropolitan Police investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.

Ms Kennedy added: “I think it’s an intuitive thing for someone to know someone. You just know that person.”

“17 years had passed, but the important person that Madeleine was was not there. Her eyes were not the same.”

Ms Kennedy said Ms McCann later told her she did not want the letter, but she kept it for months before tearing it up. Visited family home with Mrs Spragg on 7 December 2024 and began “bombarding” the couple with calls.

The court heard that in February, just over a week before the defendants were arrested at Bristol Airport, an email addressed to “Father Rob” was sent to the parish church office.

The jury was told Ms Wandelt said she “absolutely” believed she was Madeleine because of DNA evidence and physical similarities.

Rev Gladstone said: “It meant nothing to me.”

The court then heard from Det Con Mark Draycott, a Met Police officer who was involved in Operation Grange for more than a decade.

He recalled the call Ms. Wandelt made a few days later on June 18, 2022, from a mental hospital in Poland. He called the hospitalTo where the McCanns work to talk to Mr. McCann.

He was asked to email and a list of eight items was sent to police the same day; these included claims that Ms. Wandelt had the same eye marking as Madeleine, appeared younger than stated on her birth certificate, and was “harassed” by a suspect at the time of the disappearance.

His case was investigated after the police excluded him from the investigation; Det Con Draycott told the court it was a “relief” for Ms Wandelt.

But learning that the defendant had visited the vigil in 2024 and then gone to Charing Cross police station to have DNA taken (which was later destroyed), Det Con Draycott said he did not call Ms Wandelt and tell her “in no uncertain terms” that she was not Madeleine.

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

Miss Wandelt, 24, of Jana Kochanowskiego, Lubin, Poland, and Miss Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, deny stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this year.

The trial continues.