Latest news with #Wandel


The Independent
22-04-2025
- The Independent
Women plead not guilty to stalking Madeleine McCann's family
A Polish national who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann has pleaded not guilty to stalking the missing girl's parents and siblings. Julia Wandel appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday accused of causing serious alarm or distress to the family between June 2022 and February 2025. A court previously heard Wandel is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as sending Sean and Amelie McCann Instagram messages. Karen Spragg, of Caerau in Cardiff, is also alleged to have made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann, but also denied the charge of stalking. Wandel, 23, from Lubin in south-west Poland, claimed to be the missing girl on Instagram in 2023, but a DNA test said she was Polish. She spoke to confirm her name was Julia Wandel 'according to documents' and to enter her plea during the hearing. The defendant, who is also known as Julia Wandelt, is alleged to have attended the family home in Leicestershire on May 2 and December 7 last year according to a previous court appearance, and she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February. She was remanded back into custody by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to appear in court in August to decide if she will be granted bail. Spragg, 60, who stood in the dock beside Wandel, is charged with one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. She was granted bail with conditions not to contact Mr and Mrs McCann, their children and two family friends, not to enter Leicestershire unless attending court and to live and sleep at her home address. Both women will appear at the same court for trial on October 2. Madeleine McCann's disappearance at the age of three in Portugal's Algarve in 2007, during a family holiday, remains unsolved.


ITV News
22-04-2025
- ITV News
Women plead not guilty to stalking family of Madeleine McCann
A Polish national who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann has pleaded not guilty to stalking the missing girl's parents and siblings. Julia Wandel appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday accused of causing serious alarm or distress to the family between June 2022 and February 2025. A court previously heard Wandel is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as sending Sean and Amelie McCann Instagram messages. Karen Spragg, of Caerau in Cardiff, is also alleged to have made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann, but also denied the charge of stalking. Wandel, 23, from Lubin in south-west Poland, claimed to be the missing girl on Instagram in 2023, but a DNA test said she was Polish. She spoke to confirm her name was Julia Wandel 'according to documents' and to enter her plea during the hearing. The defendant, who is also known as Julia Wandelt, is alleged to have attended the family home in Leicestershire on May 2 and December 7 last year according to a previous court appearance, and she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February. She was remanded back into custody by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to appear in court in August to decide if she will be granted bail. Spragg, 60, who stood in the dock beside Wandel, is charged with one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. She was granted bail with conditions not to contact Mr and Mrs McCann, their children and two family friends, not to enter Leicestershire unless attending court and to live and sleep at her home address. Both women will appear at the same court for trial on October 2. Madeleine McCann's disappearance at the age of three in Portugal's Algarve in 2007, during a family holiday, remains unsolved.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann pleads not guilty to stalking missing girl's parents
A woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann has pleaded not guilty to stalking the missing girl's parents. Julia Wandel, 23, is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann. Wandel, from southwest Poland, is also accused of turning up at their family home on two occasions last year and sending Instagram messages to Sean and Amelie McCann, Madeleine's brother and sister. It is alleged she caused serious alarm or distress to the family between June 2022 and February this year when she was arrested at Bristol Airport. She claimed to be Madeleine on Instagram in 2023, but a DNA test showed she was Polish. Karen Spragg, 60, who is alleged to have made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann, also denied a charge of stalking at Leicester Magistrates' Court. Wandel was remanded back into custody while Spragg, from Caerau in Cardiff, was granted conditional bail. Both women are due to appear at Leicester Crown Court for trial on 2 October. Madeleine's disappearance has become one of the world's most mysterious missing child cases. She was last seen in Portugal's Algarve in 2007 while on holiday with her family. Her parents had left her in bed with her twin siblings while they had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant in Praia da Luz when the then three-year-old disappeared on 3 May. A man suspected of kidnapping Madeleine , a prosecutor told Sky News earlier this year.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Women plead not guilty to stalking Madeleine McCann's family
A Polish national who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann has pleaded not guilty to stalking the missing girl's parents and siblings. Julia Wandel appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday accused of causing serious alarm or distress to the family between June 2022 and February 2025. A court previously heard Wandel is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as sending Sean and Amelie McCann Instagram messages. Karen Spragg, of Caerau in Cardiff, is also alleged to have made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann, but also denied the charge of stalking. Wandel, 23, from Lubin in south-west Poland, claimed to be the missing girl on Instagram in 2023, but a DNA test said she was Polish. She spoke to confirm her name was Julia Wandel 'according to documents' and to enter her plea during the hearing. The defendant, who is also known as Julia Wandelt, is alleged to have attended the family home in Leicestershire on May 2 and December 7 last year according to a previous court appearance, and she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February. She was remanded back into custody by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to appear in court in August to decide if she will be granted bail. Spragg, 60, who stood in the dock beside Wandel, is charged with one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. She was granted bail with conditions not to contact Mr and Mrs McCann, their children and two family friends, not to enter Leicestershire unless attending court and to live and sleep at her home address. Both women will appear at the same court for trial on October 2. Madeleine McCann's disappearance at the age of three in Portugal's Algarve in 2007, during a family holiday, remains unsolved.

Western Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Western Telegraph
Women plead not guilty to stalking Madeleine McCann's family
Julia Wandel appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday accused of causing serious alarm or distress to the family between June 2022 and February 2025. A court previously heard Wandel is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as sending Sean and Amelie McCann Instagram messages. Julia Wandel is charged with stalking the parents and siblings of Madeleine McCann (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Karen Spragg, of Caerau in Cardiff, is also alleged to have made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann, but also denied the charge of stalking. Wandel, 23, from Lubin in south-west Poland, claimed to be the missing girl on Instagram in 2023, but a DNA test said she was Polish. She spoke to confirm her name was Julia Wandel 'according to documents' and to enter her plea during the hearing. The defendant, who is also known as Julia Wandelt, is alleged to have attended the family home in Leicestershire on May 2 and December 7 last year according to a previous court appearance, and she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February. She was remanded back into custody by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to appear in court in August to decide if she will be granted bail. Spragg, 60, who stood in the dock beside Wandel, is charged with one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. She was granted bail with conditions not to contact Mr and Mrs McCann, their children and two family friends, not to enter Leicestershire unless attending court and to live and sleep at her home address. Both women will appear at the same court for trial on October 2. Madeleine McCann's disappearance at the age of three in Portugal's Algarve in 2007, during a family holiday, remains unsolved.