Fake Maddie 'hid bombshell evidence proving she wasn't Madeleine McCann under mattress'

The 24-year-old who claimed to be missing British girl Madeleine McCann hid damning evidence that she was lying about her identity under a mattress for almost two years, it's been claimed. Julia Wandelt, who was sentenced to six months in jail for harassing the McCann family this week, secretly kept childhood photos that proved she wasn't the missing Brit under her mattress, according to The Sun. Wandelt, who grew up in Poland, reportedly had photos of her father holding her as a baby in her possession, despite denying any association with her parents.

A five-week trial at Leicester Crown Court heard the 24-year-old claim to have memories, induced by hypnosis sessions, of being abducted and living with the McCanns as a child, including feeding Madeleine's younger brother, Sean. Wandelt was convicted of harassment for turning up at the McCann's home, sending letters and messages and repeatedly begging for a DNA test on Friday, November 7. She was found not guilty of stalking them.

Before launching her campaign of harassment, which included calling Kate, Madeleine's mother, more than 60 times in one day, Wandelt reportedly stayed for three weeks in 2023 with private investigator and medium, Dr Fia Johansson.

Dr Johansson said the 24-year-old had shared medical evidence and childhood photos with her, revealing happy early years in Poland, despite Wandelt's insistence that she did not believe her mother and father were her real parents.

Dr Johansson told The Sun that she also paid for Wandelt to do a DNA test, which proved she was of Polish, Romanian and Lithuanian descent, prompting her to become hysterical and threaten to visit the McCanns.

Wandelt was also handed a restraining order during this week's trial, with a judge telling her she poses a "significant risk of the harassment of the McCanns in the future".

She has already served the extent of her jail sentence on remand, waiting for trial, and is likely to be deported to Poland imminently.

Following the verdict and sentencing, the McCanns released a statement expressing "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," they said.

"The decision to prosecute was taken by the Crown Prosecution Service, based on the evidence gathered by the police. We hope Ms Wandelt will receive the appropriate care and support she needs, and any vulnerability will not be exploited by others.

"If anyone has any new evidence relating to Madeleine's disappearance, please pass this on to the police."

Madeleine's disappearance from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007, remains unsolved despite extensive publicity and large-scale and ongoing police investigations.