A woman accused of stalking Madeleine McCann's parents allegedly attended a village vigil claiming to be the missing girl's great-aunt, but was dismissed by a family member who noticed she didn't recognise Maddie's distinctive eyes, a court has heard.
Jurors at Leicester Crown Court were told that the 56-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at the gathering in Rothley, Leicestershire, where she made the extraordinary claim about being related to the missing child.
The court heard how a relative of the McCann family became suspicious when the woman failed to acknowledge Madeleine's most recognisable feature - the coloboma in her right eye, which has been a key identifying characteristic in the search for the missing girl since her disappearance in Portugal in 2007.
Vigil Encounter Raises Suspicion
Prosecutor Mr Jacob Hallam KC told the jury: "She attended a vigil in Rothley and claimed to be Madeleine's great-aunt. A relative of the McCann family spoke to her and formed the view she could not be a relative because she did not know about the distinctive mark in Madeleine's eye."
The defendant faces charges of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between September 2021 and March 2023, during which she allegedly sent numerous letters and emails to the couple and various organisations involved in the search for their daughter.
Persistent Campaign of Contact
The court heard details of the alleged campaign, which included:
- Sending multiple letters to the McCann family home
- Contacting organisations involved in the search for Madeleine
- Making false claims about having information on the case
- Attempting to insert herself into the investigation
Mr Hallam told jurors: "The prosecution case is that the defendant has pursued a course of conduct which amounts to stalking. She has repeatedly tried to involve herself in the lives of Kate and Gerry McCann and the investigation into their daughter's disappearance."
Family's Ongoing Ordeal
The trial continues as the McCann family approaches the 17th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. The case remains one of the most high-profile missing person investigations in modern history.
The prosecution alleges the defendant's actions caused significant distress to the McCann family, who have endured years of media scrutiny and false leads in their search for answers about their daughter's fate.
The trial at Leicester Crown Court continues, with the defendant denying all charges against her.
