Julia Wandelt was swooped by police at Bristol Airport and held on suspicion of stalking and harassing Madeleine McCannâs parents. Photo: Facebook
A Polish woman who falsely claimed to be Madeleine McCann is facing deportation from Britain following her conviction for harassing the missing girlâs parents.
Julia Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in south-west Poland, spent years insisting she was Madeleine, who vanished aged three in Portugal in 2007, LBC reported.
Wandelt was convicted of harassment after sending emails, leaving voicemails, and appearing uninvited at the McCannsâ home in Leicestershire.
The UKâs interior ministry, the Home Office, has confirmed that deportation proceedings have begun following Wandeltâs release from prison last week.
She had been held since February and was released due to time served on remand.
Wandeltâs co-defendant, 61-year-old Karen Spragg, was found not guilty of harassment or stalking.
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Gerry, left, and Kate McCann, parents of four-year old Madeleine McCann, present a picture of their daughter during a press conference in 2007. Photo: Sven Kaestner / AP
During the trial, the jury heard how Wandelt sent distressing messages to Kate McCann, calling her âmumâ and claiming to have memories of Madeleineâs childhood.
The court also heard Wandelt left a letter at the family home signed, âLots of love, Madeleineâ.
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âWe take no pleasure in the result. Like most people, we did not want to go through a court process and only wanted the harassment to stop,â Kate and Gerry McCann said in a statement.
The couple, who have always hoped Madeleine may still be alive, spoke of the emotional impact of Wandeltâs claims.
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Madeleineâs younger sister, Amelie, now 20, also described the messages as âcreepyâ and upsetting for the family, highlighting the distress caused by Wandeltâs false claims.
Trial judge Mrs Justice Cutts noted that the maximum sentence for harassment was six months, adding that Wandelt had already spent longer in custody than the maximum term.
The judge thanked the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence.
Wandeltâs conviction brings legal closure for the McCann family and marks the next step in her removal from the UK.


