Natalie McNally, who was beaten, strangled and stabbed by the dad of her unborn son, was remembered by Everton FC
Natalie McNally, who was murdered by her partner Stephen McCullagh
Natalie McNally, who was murdered by her partner Stephen McCullagh(Image: PSNI / family handout)
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A man presented a pre-produced YouTube video as an ongoing livestream in a bid to cover the murder of his Everton-supporting, pregnant partner. Natalie McNally was 32 when she was beaten, strangled and stabbed by the dad of her unborn son in her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, on December 18, 2022.
Stephen McCullagh was convicted this week of Ms McNally's murder and told he will receive a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. A Belfast trial jury was told McCullagh posted a video called 'The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream' on his YouTube channel between 6pm and midnight on the night of the murder.
He used it as an alibi to both the police and Ms McNally's family by claiming it was a continuous livestream. But forensic experts determined the video had actually been recorded some days before. When confronted by detectives with this during interviews he claimed he had drunk alcohol and fallen asleep on the night of his partner's death, reported BelfastLive.
The night after his partner's murder McCullagh made a hysterical 999 call and told an operator "she's cold", "there's blood everywhere" and "she's pregnant...we have a scan tomorrow". This was later described by the prosecution as "an act, a put on" and "part of his plan to do the murder and get away with it".
McCullagh, 36 and of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, was convicted by a jury on Monday during the fifth week of the trial at Belfast Crown Court. The jury of six men and six women reached their verdict after two hours of deliberations.
Speaking after her murderer was convicted by a jury, the mum-to-be's family said: "Natalie, you were an inspirational person. Having you in our lives is the greatest joy we'll ever have. You would have been an amazing mother to baby Dean. We will love you forever, and we hope you can now rest easy."
Stephen McCullagh
Stephen McCullagh
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Ms McNally was a loyal Everton fan whose picture was put on the large screen at the Blues' former Goodison Park home after her death. A memorial stone was laid for her at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of the ongoing Premier League season.
Her brothers Declan and Niall McNally and her dad Noel travelled to the waterside stadium in August last year to see the tribute. They told the BBC: "It was just lovely seeing it there and knowing that it's going to be there for hopefully a very long time, long after we're gone."
Describing their sister's support for the Toffees, the brothers added: "Natalie loved it, and she loved the craic, she went over to the matches with us, loved even every time Everton played on the TV."
McCullagh did not give evidence at his own trial. But it was the prosecution case that it was likely his motivation for the murder was reading messages sent by Ms McNally to other men in the weeks before her death. The court heard some of the messages were sexually explicit whilst others discussed potentially breaking up with McCullagh.
Belfast Crown Court was told the killer was the "person of interest" captured on CCTV in both Lisburn and Lurgan on the evening of the murder and the male who got into a taxi in Lurgan and dropped off at 11.13pm at McCullagh's address. This same man, who the jury accepted was McCullagh, was also captured on CCTV throwing two objects over a hedge before walking in the front gate of his home.
McCullagh callously attempted to hide in plain sight following the murder. He supported his partner's family at a rally in her name the month after the murder and put together a montage of home videos which were displayed on big screens.
The BBC reported McCullagh regularly visited Ms McNally's family home in the weeks after her murder. He even deliberately left his phone in the home, recording her family's conversations in the hope of picking up intelligence.
He will be returned to court in May to learn the minimum term he must serve.