Woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann found guilty of harassing missing child’s parents

A Polish woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann has been found guilty of harassment after tormenting the missing girl’s parents and confronting them at their home.

Julia Wandelt, 24, was convicted after a relentless three-year campaign that began on social media and made it all the way to Dr Phil.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: McCann imposter convicted

Wandelt had claimed she was Madeleine, who went missing as a three-year-old while on a family holiday in Portugal in 2007.

She said she had little to no memories from her childhood, causing her to question her identify.

While she tried to convince the world she also began bombarding the McCann family with calls, emails and messages.

Wandelt and a woman named Karen Spragg who supported her claims even travelled to the British village where the McCanns now live to confront them.

The pair were both charged with stalking and were on trial for five weeks at Leicester Crown Court.

Security video played to the court captures Wandelt walking the streets near the McCann’s property moments before she confronted Kate McCann on her doorstep.

“But I’m not lying,” Wandelt can be heard saying.

“She is your daughter,” Spragg said.

Kate: “You’re not my daughter.”

Spragg: “How do you know?”

Kate: “This is private property.”

Wandelt: “I’m not lying. Please, I have DNA.”

It took jurors seven hours to find the Polish national guilty of harassment.

Both women were clear of the stalking charges.

Wandelt was sentenced to six months in prison which she has already served and is banned from contacting the McCanns.

She could also face deportation.

During her sentencing remarks Justice Cutts said that Wandelt did “not have an easy childhood” but that her family history did “not justify the way you behaved”.

“It has been confirmed in this case you are not Madeleine McCann,” she said as reported by the BBC.

“There was not proper or logical basis for this.”

A DNA test carried out earlier this year after Wandelt was arrested proved she was not Madeleine.

The trial heard she had previously claimed to be two other missing children.

In a statement Kate and Jerry McCann said they took “no pleasure in the result”.

“We hope Ms Wandelt will receive the appropriate care and support she needs.”

There has been no sight of Madeleine, or any indication as to what happened to her, since her disappearance.

German prosecutors have named Christian Brückner as their prime suspect in the case however he has never been charged.

In September the German national was released from jail after serving a sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005.

The rape took place in Praia da Luz where Madeleine disappeared from.