Kate McCann became emotional and threatened to involve the authorities when the woman accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s family showed up at their residence, a court was told. Julia Wandelt, hailing from Lubin, Poland, testified at Leicester Crown Court that she approached Mrs. McCann at her Leicester home last December, hoping to converse with her under the belief that she could be her missing daughter.

Upon encountering the 24-year-old, Mrs. McCann reportedly began crying immediately. Wandelt, accompanied by Karen Spragg, 61, from Caerau, Cardiff, stated that she left after Mrs. McCann mentioned calling the police. She later sent a letter signed “Lots of love, Madeleine.”

During her testimony, Wandelt recounted the incident, explaining that she tried to engage Mrs. McCann in conversation but was rebuffed. Mrs. McCann threatened to involve the police, to which Wandelt responded that law enforcement would not intervene. She also mentioned that Spragg suggested to Mrs. McCann that the woman was her daughter, but Mrs. McCann denied this assertion.

Wandelt shared that she attempted to hand over documents to Mrs. McCann without success. After Mrs. McCann went inside her house, Wandelt, in tears, knocked on the door but did not cause a disturbance. Gerry McCann, upon returning home, advised Wandelt to seek help.

Following the face-to-face encounter, Wandelt sent a letter on December 7, 2024, addressing Mrs. McCann as “dear mum” and concluding with “lots of love, Madeleine.” The letter expressed Wandelt’s desire to uncover the truth and her readiness to undergo a DNA test.

Further messages from Wandelt to Mrs. McCann were revealed in court, including one detailing a memory related to Madeleine’s disappearance. Wandelt clarified that she did not intend to cause distress with these messages.

Wandelt and Spragg have denied accusations of stalking and causing distress to Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February 2025. The trial is ongoing.