In a current court trial, testimony from David and Fiona Payne, close friends of the family of missing Madeleine McCann, sheds light on interactions with the accused individuals, Julia Wandelt and Karen Spragg. The Paynes, who were present with Kate and Gerry McCann on the night of Madeleine’s disappearance in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007, have provided evidence against the defendants at Leicester Crown Court.
Julia Wandelt allegedly made phone calls to Mr. Payne, expressing beliefs of being Madeleine and requesting contact with Kate and Gerry. These calls, including pleas for assistance and claims of identity, were described by Mr. Payne as distressing. Additionally, messages from Wandelt to Mr. Payne, urging him to convey information to the McCanns, were revealed in court.
Fiona Payne, another long-term friend of the McCanns, recounted Kate’s emotional reaction to Wandelt’s claims. She mentioned receiving unsolicited messages from Wandelt, notably finding a series of messages in her spam folder, including requests for DNA comparisons with Madeleine’s parents to validate her identity.
Wandelt faces charges of stalking the McCann family and is accused of various forms of communication harassment, including visits to the family home and messages to Kate, Gerry, and their children. Similarly, Spragg is charged with stalking offenses allegedly occurring between June 2022 and February 2025.
The ongoing trial highlights the disturbing interactions between the accused individuals and the McCann family, underscoring the impact of false claims and harassment on the family’s well-being and the gravity of the legal charges against the defendants.