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

The organiser of an annual vigil held to mark the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has instructed a court docket she was “surprised” after being approached by the alleged stalker of the lacking lady’s dad and mom.

Julia Wandelt, who Leicester Crown Courtroom heard believes she is Madeleine, and Karen Spragg are on trial charged with stalking Kate and Gerry McCann.

Janet Kennedy mentioned Ms Wandelt went to the three Could 2024 vigil, to mark Madeleine’s disappearance on the identical day in Portugal in 2007, and gave her an envelope earlier than asking to talk to the lady’s dad and mom.

Mrs Kennedy mentioned she “tried to be well mannered” and took the envelope however later destroyed it. Ms Wandelt and Mrs Spragg deny the costs.

Giving proof on Friday, Mrs Kennedy, Madeleine’s great-aunt, instructed the jury she had “all the time been there” for the household and was “a confidante” to Kate McCann.

She mentioned she had seen media reporting about Ms Wandelt’s claims earlier than the 2024 vigil in Rothley, Leicestershire – which she mentioned she helped organise every year – and added Mrs McCann had instructed her about somebody “sending messages”.

Mrs Kennedy instructed the court docket rain disrupted her preparations, with final yr’s vigil moved contained in the close by Baptist Church.

As individuals had been gathering, parish priest Rev Robert Gladstone – who additionally gave proof on Friday – instructed the court docket he was approached by somebody who mentioned her identify was Julia, asking to be launched to the McCanns.

Rev Gladstone, who led the 2024 service, mentioned he “bluffed” as he was busy and conscious Mr and Mrs McCann weren’t attending, however after the service, mentioned Ms Wandelt instructed him “she was Madeleine, she had been abused as a baby and the people who introduced her up weren’t her actual dad and mom”.

Rev Gladstone mentioned he “fairly immediately” dismissed Ms Wandelt’s declare and didn’t plan to take her to any household.

However Mrs Kennedy mentioned a minister approached her to say somebody wished to talk to a member of the family.

That particular person, she instructed the court docket, was Ms Wandelt “with a male good friend”.

Mrs Kennedy mentioned Ms Wandelt instructed her she “was Madeleine” and had an envelope for the McCanns “with info that may show she was”.

She mentioned she “tried to remain courteous and calm”, however instructed the jury she was “surprised” and took the envelope earlier than telling Ms Wandelt to contact investigators engaged on Operation Grange – the Metropolitan Police investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.

Mrs Kennedy added: “I feel one’s recognition of somebody is one thing that’s intuitive. You simply know the particular person.

“It was now 17 years on, however the important person who Madeleine is, was not there. Her eyes weren’t the identical.”

Mrs Kennedy mentioned that Mrs McCann later instructed her she didn’t need the letter, however she saved maintain of it for months earlier than tearing it up after – the jury was instructed – Ms Wandelt visited the family home with Mrs Spragg on 7 December 2024 and commenced “bombarding” the couple with calls.

The court docket heard a later e-mail was despatched to the parish church workplace – addressed to “Father Rob” – in February, simply over every week earlier than the defendants had been arrested at Bristol Airport.

In it, Ms Wandelt mentioned she “firmly” believed she was Madeleine attributable to DNA proof and bodily similarities, the jury was instructed.

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

The court docket then heard from Det Con Mark Draycott, a Met Police officer hooked up to Operation Grange for greater than a decade.

He recalled a name from Ms Wandelt, constructed from a psychological hospital in Poland on 18 June 2022, a number of days after she had rung the hospital, the place the McCanns labored, to talk to Mr McCann.

She was requested to e-mail, with an eight-point record despatched to police the identical day – together with assertions Ms Wandelt had the identical eye marking as Madeleine, that she seems youthful than her delivery certificates states, and claiming she had been “molested” by a suspect within the disappearance.

Her case was investigated with police ruling her out of their inquiries – which Det Con Draycott instructed the court docket was a “reduction” to Ms Wandelt.

However after turning into conscious of the defendant’s go to to the vigil in 2024 after which Charing Cross police station to have DNA – which was later destroyed – taken, Det Con Draycott mentioned he referred to as Ms Wandelt to say “in no unsure phrases” that she was not Madeleine.

The dialog – which was performed in court docket – was recorded with out Det Con Draycott’s data, the jury heard, and uploaded to a YouTube crime podcast with Ms Wandelt.

Ms Wandelt, 24, of Jana Kochanowskiego in Lubin, Poland, and Mrs Spragg, 61, of Caerau Courtroom Street, Cardiff, every deny one rely of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this yr.

The trial continues.