Julia Wandelt, a 24-year-old Polish woman, has been sentenced to six months in prison for harassing Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of missing child Madeleine McCann. The court also imposed a restraining order preventing her from approaching the couple.

During the trial, Judge Mrs Justice Cutts highlighted that Wandelt posed a "significant risk of the harassment of the McCanns in future." Wandelt had claimed to be Madeleine, who vanished in Portugal in 2007 at the age of three. However, the judge confirmed, "It has been confirmed in this case you are not Madeleine McCann. There was not proper or logical basis for this."

Wandelt was found guilty of harassing the McCanns by repeatedly contacting them, sending sinister letters, and even showing up at their home. She was acquitted of stalking charges. The judge expressed concern over Wandelt's persistent behaviour, stating, "Your constant pestering, badgering and eventually attendance at their home address on a dark evening in December was unwarranted."

The court heard that Wandelt had also sent disturbing messages to the couple's friends, pleading for them to connect her with the McCanns. Judge Cutts noted that the McCanns had suffered immensely due to their child's disappearance and were entitled to privacy and peace. She added, "You had been properly warned to desist but did not. You continued to contact the McCanns and their friends and, worse still, their children."

Wandelt's actions have raised serious concerns about the impact of her behaviour on the McCann family, who have endured years of anguish since their daughter's disappearance. The court's decision aims to protect the family from further distress.