DNA samples taken by police ‘conclusively prove alleged stalker not Madeleine’

DNA samples taken by police from the alleged stalker of the McCann family “conclusively” prove that she is not the missing Madeleine, a trial has heard.

Jurors at Leicester Crown Court were told that 24-year-old Julia Wandelt’s DNA was taken after she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February this year in an attempt to “stop her behaviour” towards the youngster’s family.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, the senior investigating officer for Operation Grange, the ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation into Madeleine’s 2007 disappearance from an apartment in Portugal, said that 12 people have claimed to be the missing girl but their DNA samples were not taken because it may “set a precedent”.

Julia Wandelt (left) and her co-defendant Karen Spragg are accused of stalking the McCanns. PA Media

Giving evidence on Tuesday, Mr Cranwell said: “We would not take DNA unless we believed that person was Madeleine because I did not want to set a precedent.

“If it became known in the media I had taken DNA off an individual quite likely not to be Madeleine, I was concerned I would have had a lot of people coming forward saying ‘I’m Madeleine’.

“I genuinely have major concerns about approaching the (McCann) family to say I intend to take DNA from an individual – that could have raised their hopes.

“It could have been quite emotionally damaging and difficult for the family.”

pragg turned up at the McCann family’s home with Wandelt in December last year. PA Media

He added that his own assessment was that Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, was not Madeleine because her eye pigment was in a different place, she had different coloured irises and was two years older than the missing girl.

But Mr Cranwell said he later made the decision that her DNA would be taken “in hope she may stop her behaviour towards the McCann family”, adding: “It weighed heavily on my mind because this was against policy.”

Mr Cranwell said: “I was aware Leicestershire Police were likely to be arresting her at some point.

“I made the decision that the DNA would be taken upon arrest.

“A comparison took place. It conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”

He added: “There’s a possibility she will never accept she’s not Madeleine even when provided with scientific proof.”

Prosecutors allege the Polish national peddled the myth that she was Madeleine while stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, by sending emails, making phone calls and turning up at their address between June 2022 and February this year.

Mr Cranwell said he had concerns previously that doing a DNA test would add to the “media frenzy” and the “spotlight on the McCann family”.

The court heard that in April this year, Mr Cranwell visited Wandelt in custody and told her that her DNA had been compared to Madeleine’s and that the profiles do not match.

The jury heard he told Wandelt during the visit: “You are not Madeleine McCann.”

The court heard that during their conversation, Wandelt said: “Do you really want to find Madeleine?”, and Mr Cranwell told the jury he replied: “Yes.”

The court heard that after Wandelt initially claimed to be Madeleine, Operation Grange asked Mr and Mrs McCann to look at a photograph of her.

Mr McCann responded by email to the images and said: “Confident it’s not Madeleine although some similarities”, the jury was told, and Mrs McCann replied: “Agreed.”

Wandelt and her co-defendant 61-year-old Karen Spragg, of Caerau Court Road in Caerau, Cardiff, both deny one count of stalking.

The trial will continue on Wednesday.