Our live coverage of today's proceedings has come to an end.

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• While giving evidence, Kate McCann was visibly upset when discussing repeated requests for a DNA test to determine if Julia Wandelt was Madeleine. She told the court: "I almost wanted to put it to bed."
• Miss Wandelt travelled from Poland to the McCanns' home village of Rothley for a vigil, but the couple were not present as they were away that day
• Mrs McCann recalled her first face-to-face encounter with the defendants, saying Mrs Spragg's behaviour was "unnerving"
• The court was told of a letter from Miss Wandelt, which stated: "I don't understand why you don't want to do a DNA test with me."
• While giving evidence, Gerry McCann said people claiming to be Madeleine "pulled on your heartstrings", but added it was "damaging the search" for her

Isaac Ashe
BBC News, reporting from Leicester Crown Court

From behind a privacy screen, an emotional Gerry McCann spoke of the toll the case had taken.

On Wednesday both he and Madeleine McCann's mother Kate told Leicester Crown Court about the "distressing" impact of the "persistent" approaches of Julia Wandelt, 24, who believes she is the missing girl.

Mr McCann was told to "take his time", as he said there was "no evidence that Madeleine is dead", and that Miss Wandelt's claims were "damaging the investigation".

Miss Wandelt and her co-accused Karen Spragg, 61, who the jury was told played an "active role" in Miss Wandelt's approaches to the family, each deny a count of stalking causing serious alarm and distress to the McCanns between June 2022 and February this year.

Image source, Joe Giddens/PA Wire

George Torr
BBC News, East Midlands

The jury and the defendants have now left the court. Judge Mrs Justice Cutts has instructed all parties to begin again at 10:00 BST tomorrow.

Here is what we have heard from Mr McCann today:

• Gerry McCann first became aware of Julia Wandelt in 2023 when she contacted the hospital he worked at in Leicestershire claiming to be Madeleine McCann
• Mr McCann was "very confident" a picture of the defendant was not Madeleine
• "You're not Madeleine, stop calling", Mr McCann told the defendant
• Mr McCann told of his "absolute relief" at not coming into contact with Miss Wandelt at a vigil in 2024
• "Kate was very distressed" when defendants appeared at house
• Mr McCann said he saw Miss Wandelt on a US TV show
• He added the defendants turning up at his house "brought back horrible memories"
• Mr McCann said there were "three reasons for no DNA test"
• Karen Spragg "spoke of cover-ups and conspiracy theories"

Mr Russell Flint KC said there was no shouting on the night of the encounter on 7 December 2024.

Mr McCann said: "I find that incredulous, sir."

Prosecutor Michael Duck KC then asked a follow-up question about Karen Spragg and her manner on that evening.

Mr McCann said she was "confrontational, accusatory, saying things that clearly weren't true about cover-ups and conspiracy theories".

Mr Russell Flint KC asked Mr McCann why they did not support a DNA test, following calls from Julia Wandelt's "supporters" for one to be carried out.

"There's three reasons," Mr McCann said.

"We didn't believe she was Madeleine, we'd been reassured by the Metropolitan Police following their investigations within Poland she was who her name is.

"Lastly, it's not our responsibility to do a DNA test, it's a matter for investigative forces."

The McCanns did not discuss a DNA test "until after her arrest", the court was told.

"We didn't think there was any doubt she was not Madeleine," Mr McCann said.

Mr Russell Flint KC asked: "Did you ever wonder what if?"

Mr McCann responded: "To be honest, no."

Simon Russell Flint KC is now asking Mr McCann questions on behalf of Karen Spragg.

He asked the witness about the McCanns' awareness of what people are saying about them.

Mr McCann said he "very rarely goes online", but sometimes did to see what was being said about them "due to the intensity" at times.

He said that was how he saw Julia Wandelt talking to the US TV programme.

Tom Price KC, for Miss Wandelt, has started his cross-examination of Mr McCann.

He asked about personal details being made public following the disappearance of his daughter in 2007.

"The Portuguese police files got put online in 2008 when they closed the case. Everything was put online," said Mr McCann.

Mr McCann said he changed his number after this.

He was asked about blocking Julia Wandelt as a contact, and responded that Miss Wandelt would call using no caller ID.

Mr Price KC said during the pair's visit to the home on 7 December 2024, they stayed outside the house for "two or three minutes", but Mr McCann said he thought it was 10 or 15 minutes.

Asked further on the effect it has had on the family, Mr McCann said: "We don't know what happened to Madeleine; there's no evidence she's dead.

"When people claim to be your missing daughter you haven't seen for this long, it pulls on your heartstrings. But it is damaging the search for Madeleine."

He added they had now renewed their CCTV following the incident.

Speaking further, Mr McCann told the court: "It brings back a lot of horrible memories of when the media was camped outside our house.

"We rarely get people coming to the house now, but every time you're driving home you're worried if someone's going to be there - you're nervous for the 10 seconds it takes to drive down your road."

He added the "extreme nature" of the contact made him think "in the back of my head that this could result in physical violence".

Mr Duck KC now turns to the letter posted the day after the vigil, which was read out in full earlier today during Kate McCann's evidence.

When asked about it, Mr McCann said: "I'm pretty sure, seeing it now, I didn't read it.

"I think I made the decision not to read it because obviously it's very emotive and distressing. It takes a toll."

He added: "We know she is not [Madeleine]."

Mr McCann told the court he was aware of the DNA request Julia Wandelt had made and said he had seen her on a US TV show.

He added Miss Wandelt was "trying to force" A4 documents in his hand during the confrontation.

Mr McCann said that caused the "scuffling noises" on the audio and added there "was no direct physical contact".

He said he got inside, drew the curtains across the door, and went to his wife, who was in the kitchen.

Mr McCann said the pair were "banging and shouting" for about "10 to 15 minutes".

"Kate was still pretty shaken," he told the court. "She was in the house on her own, I think she felt frightened."

Before the audio was played, Mr McCann told the court he did not know he was being recorded.

In the audio, he can be heard saying: "I don't want any information... the police are well aware of Julia and her situation."

He then added: "You're not Madeleine, please don't hassle us."

Miss Wandelt is then heard saying: "How do you know?"

Mr Duck KC asks Mr McCann about his recollection of the event.

"I was probably much calmer than I would have been if Kate didn't warn me," he said.

Recalling when he pulled up to the home, he told the court: "There was a small white car parked on the verge as you drive in - that was very unusual.

"Two women were on the drive area. I was able to identify, I had been told by Kate it was Julia but I had seen the photographs, it looked very much like the same woman.

"She had some papers in her hand in a poly pocket and a phone in her other hand."

On the second woman, known now to be co-accused Karen Spragg, he said: "She got pretty close to me, I estimated she was about 60 years of age."

We have now turned to the confrontation, when the court heard the defendants approached both Kate and Gerry McCann on the evening of 7 December 2024.

"We had been at a swimming competition in Sheffield with our son, Sean. My car was at the train station which is why we arrived separately," Mr McCann told the court.

"I spoke to Kate - she called me. It was a warning call that Julia and another woman were outside our property and accosted Kate on the way in," he said.

"She was very distressed... her voice, she was clearly upset, we all know when people are affected and she clearly was."

Mr McCann continues and said a letter and box of wine were found outside their home the next day.

He said he was not certain if the wine was from Miss Wandelt or another source - and added that phone calls after this were "unrelenting".

Mr McCann is now being asked about the vigil in their village of Rothley, Leicestershire, on 3 May 2024, which they did not attend.

"One date I can be certain of for sure. We'd been on a short break and we were really debating, knowing we'd miss the vigil, but we really needed a break, so we went," Mr McCann said.

He said when they returned he found out the defendant had travelled to the village.

"I know that Janet [Kate's aunt] had a long conversation with her [Miss Wandelt]," he told the court.

Asked about missing the vigil, he said: "[There were] mixed feelings. We felt guilty where family and friends and residents were showing their support for Madeleine."

But he added there was "absolute relief" they did not come into contact with Miss Wandelt.

When asked about the messages to his daughter Amelie from Miss Wandelt in early 2024, he said he was not aware at that point and added: "It makes me quite sad to know Amelie didn't tell us about these."

He added he was aware of Miss Wandelt contacting his wife in "summer last year, possibly earlier".

He told the court: "Many times the phone would ring and ring and ring with no caller ID."

His wife was "obviously very distressed, irritated, irritable, struggling to concentrate", he said.

Mr McCann told the court he did, on one occasion, answer the phone.

He said: "I can't remember the exact words but I said something like, 'you're not Madeleine'.

"I made it clear these were unwanted calls."

Mr McCann is asked about media attention Miss Wandelt garnered in 2023.

"We'd become aware of a lot of noise around Madeleine's case... we heard murmurings from social media. We weren't on it, but we heard about it," he said.

He added it was when a photograph was sent by the police liaison that he became fully aware of Miss Wandelt.

Mr McCann added the police told him "this is the girl who's been in contact who thinks she's Madeleine. We're pretty confident it isn't but could you look at the picture?"

He said he was "very confident" just by looking that it was not his daughter.

George Torr
BBC News, East Midlands

Speaking about a follow-up email from Julia Wandelt, Mr McCann said he was "sure" he would not have responded as it was "an investigation matter" and he would have forwarded it to officers at Operation Grange.

"I keep on top of my emails pretty religiously," he added.

George Torr
BBC News, East Midlands

Gerry McCann is now on the stand answering questions from the prosecution.

He said he first became aware of Julia Wandelt in 2023.

He is asked to turn to some evidence in his bundle, which is an email from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust's communications manager on 24 June 2023.

In it, she said she had been in contact with a person from the hospital switchboard, who said a person called Julia Wandelt called the claiming to be Madeleine McCann and wanted to speak to him.