A Madeleine McCann impersonator claims she might have been "held captive" with the missing girl herself.
Julia Wandelt, 24, testified at Leicester Crown Court as the defendant in a trial where she is accused of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann.
The Polish defendant told the court that she had memories recovered through hypnosis that are "genuine", suggesting if she was not Madeleine, which she previously claimed she was, then she must have been held with her and other abused girls.
She has never previously mentioned this theory in the trial, in which she claimed she was the missing girl.
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Ms Wandelt said: "If I wasn’t Madeleine.. there was always a chance I was held with her if I wasn’t her.
"I can remember certain faces, some names and what the place looked like."
The 24-year-old said she did not want to give the family "false hope".
A Madeleine McCann impersonator claims she might have been 'held captive' with the missing girl herself
|PA
The defendant told the court: "If you compared false hope and potential truth coming out… I’m not a mother but I have younger siblings. If my sister or brother went missing I would do everything… if I had a little hope."
Previously, the woman claimed that she had recollections of playing Ring a Ring o' Roses with Madeleine's siblings, and gave details about their family home, which "came to be true".
Prosecutors have accused Ms Wandelt of harassing Madeleine's parents through repeated contact over eight months.
The alleged stalking campaign involved sending emails, making telephone calls and appearing at their home address between June 2022 and February this year.
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Julia Wandelt and Karen Spragg stand accused of stalking the McCanns | PAThe court heard that Ms Wandelt first contacted Operation Grange in June 2022, sending an email that began: "Hello, I'm writing to you because I think I might be Madeleine McCann."
She presented eight reasons supporting her belief that she was the missing child.
Ms Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, faces trial alongside 61-year-old Karen Spragg from Caerau, Cardiff.
Both women have pleaded not guilty to stalking charges.
Julia Wandelt claimed to be a 69.23 per cent match to Madeleine McCann | GO GET FUNDINGMs Wandelt, who told the court she had doubts over her Polish heritage, previously requested DNA testing to verify her background.
The alleged stalker of the McCanns has admitted she received over £800 in donations on her campaign to prove she was the missing British girl.
She told the court: "I felt bad about it.
"This is not their life, I should be able to take care of myself [but] I asked people for help and I received money."
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