McCann family stalking suspect denied bail by Crown Court judge
Polish national Julia Wandel, 23, will be kept in prison custody until a futher hearing next month.
A 23-year-old Polish national accused of stalking the family of Madeleine McCann has been refused bail by a Crown Court judge.
A lawyer acting for Julia Wandel made an unsuccessful 15-minute bail application at Leicester Crown Court on her behalf on Friday.
Judge Timothy Spencer KC ruled that no details from the bail application can be reported, ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing listed to take place at the same court on April 22.
Wandel, from Lubin in south-west Poland, did not attend the hearing in person, but is understood to have followed the proceedings via a prison video-link.
Wandel is accused of stalking Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie McCann between January 3 2024 and February 15 2025.
She is alleged to have attended the family home in Leicestershire on May 2 and December 7 last year.
She is also accused of sending a letter, calls, voicemails and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, and sending Amelie and Sean McCann Instagram messages between January 3 and December 29 last year.
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old woman charged as part of the investigation appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.
Karen Spragg, of Caerau in Cardiff, was charged on Thursday with one count of stalking involving serious alarm or distress between May 3 2024 and February 21 this year.
The indictment alleged Spragg made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann.
Appearing at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Spragg, wearing a beige tracksuit and blue Crocs and carrying a red bag, spoke to confirm her name and address during the 10-minute hearing and indicated she would not be entering a plea.
Chair of the bench Elizabeth Needham released Spragg on 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.
She was ordered to appear alongside Wandel at Leicester Crown Court on April 22.
Mrs Needham said: “Your case is going to the crown court and the date for that is April 22. You have heard the bail conditions, if you break any of those you are likely to be arrested.
“If you do not attend court that is likely to be a breach of your bail.
“In the meantime, keep in contact with your solicitor.”
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance at the age of three from Praia da Luz in Portugal’s Algarve when her family was on holiday in 2007 remains unsolved.
