🔴 JULIA WANDELT TRIAL: JURY RETIRES FOR DELIBERATIONS

Jurors have heard sharply contrasting portrayals of the Polish woman who falsely claimed to be Madeleine McCann — as both a manipulative tormentor and a confused young woman at the end of her tether.

During closing speeches at Leicester Crown Court, prosecutors accused Julia Wandelt, 24, of waging a “cruel and unforgiving” campaign of harassment against Kate and Gerry McCann, while her defence urged jurors to see her as “rather sad and pathetic” rather than malicious.

‘Cruel and Unforgiving’

Michael Duck KC, for the prosecution, said Wandelt and co-defendant Karen Spragg had caused “very significant distress” to the McCanns by turning up uninvited at their Leicestershire home, sending repeated emails and voicemails, and refusing to accept that they were not the missing child’s parents.

“This case,” Mr Duck told jurors, “is about Julia Wandelt and Karen Spragg individually and subsequently as a team causing very significant distress to Kate and Gerry McCann.”

He described parts of the stalking as “cruel and unforgiving”, accusing both women of seeking to “impose their will” on the family and showing no regard for the harm they caused.

The prosecutor said the pair’s behaviour outside the McCanns’ property in December last year showed Spragg was “not just a hanger-on but an enthusiastic encourager of what was taking place.”

“They cared only about their own agenda,” he said. “They knew what they were doing was wrong.”

‘Manipulative and Determined’

Mr Duck urged the jury to find that Wandelt had “tormented” the couple over many months, saying she was intelligent and capable of being “extremely manipulative.”

He pointed to a joint letter written by the two defendants apologising for “causing you so much distress” as proof that they understood the impact of their actions.

“We may never know what her motives were,”

Mr Duck said.

“Julia Wandelt sought to persuade herself and others that she was Madeleine McCann. But when you analyse the evidence, that’s based on nothing other than her own assertions.”

At one stage during his speech, Wandelt left the dock in tears.

‘A Sad & Pathetic Young Woman’

Delivering the closing speech for the defence, Tom Price KC said Wandelt was not a stalker but a “confused” young woman who had reached out to the McCanns only after exhausting every other possible lead about her own identity.

“There is one real question we have to ask about this case,” he told the jury. “If Julia Wandelt is stalking the McCanns — what is the benefit to her? What has she gained from this?”

Mr Price said the prosecution could not answer that question because Wandelt had acted out of desperation, not malice.

“If the Crown theory is correct, that she knew from the very beginning that she is not Madeleine McCann — what on earth has she been doing for the past three years?”

he said.

‘Confused, Not Wicked’

The barrister described his client as “a rather sad and pathetic young woman” with “a rather unfortunate background” who genuinely believed she might be the missing child

“She wanted answers to complex questions about who she is,” he said. “She was at the end of her tether when she finally had any actual contact with the McCanns in December.”

Mr Price told jurors that Wandelt had been polite, made no threats of violence, and even behaved protectively towards Kate McCann on the family’s driveway.

“This is not wicked behaviour,” he said. “This is confused behaviour. You would have to have a heart of stone not to feel some sympathy and compassion for that young woman.”

He argued that Mrs McCann herself had described Wandelt as an “irritant” — which fell far short of the “serious alarm or distress” required for a conviction.

“It’s not enough to say she was irritating, annoying or overbearing,” Mr Price said. “You can’t be so satisfied, and you should find her not guilty.”

Spragg’s Role ‘As a True Friend’

For Spragg, Simon Russell Flint KC told the court that his client’s involvement was limited to helping Wandelt confirm her identity, describing her as “a true friend” who “almost suffered with her.”

“Karen Spragg came to be a true friend to Julia Wandelt,” he said. “She supported her, she believed in her, she wanted to help her find her true identity.”

The defence said Spragg’s “sole purpose” was to find out whether Wandelt “might be the missing Madeleine.”

Judge’s Directions

Trial judge Ms Justice Cutts KC reminded jurors to put aside any feelings of sympathy for either side.

“Emotion of any kind does not assist in deciding whether the allegation against each defendant is satisfactorily proved,” she said.

Wandelt, of Lubin in Poland, and Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, both deny one count of stalking.

The jury is expected to begin its deliberations shortly.