Alleged McCann family stalker playing with Madeleine's sister's emotions, court told

THE sister of Madeleine McCann has told a court that messages from her family’s “creepy” alleged stalker left her feeling uncomfortable because it was “playing with my emotions’.

- JOSH PAYNE, SOPHIE ROBINSON and STEPHANIE WAREHAM

Amelie McCann said she did not want to do a DNA test with Julia Wandelt after she told her she wanted to prove she was the missing youngster, saying: “I always knew that she wasn’t Madeleine, so I didn’t need to do one.”

Giving evidence via video link at Leicester Crown Court yesterday, Miss McCann said Wandelt had sent images of herself which were “clearly altered or edited to make it look more like her.”

She told the jury she thought there might be something she would recognise if Wandelt was her missing sister Madeleine.

Prosecutors allege Wandelt, from Lubin in southwest Poland, peddled the myth that she was Madeleine - who went missing in Portugal in 2007 - while stalking her parents by sending emails, making phone calls and turning up at their address.

Madeleine's sister told the jury her mother Kate McCann was “stressed and on edge” after Wandelt visited her family home, calling it an “invasion” of their privacy.

The court also heard Miss McCann’s twin brother Sean found Wandelt's claims that she is Madeleine “disrespectful” and “deeply disturbing”.

In a statement read to the court, he said: “I find it disrespectful that she’s making this claim and getting a lot of attention and support for it.

“The fact Julia has no regard for how we feel about her claims is hurtful.”

He said: “I'm aware Julia may be suffering from some sort of mental health.

“If, however, she's fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims she is, that will be very upsetting for me.