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On 18 December 2022 in Lurgan, a 32-year-old man, Stephen McCullagh, murdered a 32-year-old woman, Natalie McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant and his ex-partner.[1] McCullagh made use of a pre-recorded livestream as a false alibi, and stabbed McNally multiple times in her home.[1]
Background
[edit]McNally worked as a marketer for public transport provider Translink. She lived with type 1 diabetes from the age of three.[1]
McCullagh was a part-time assistant audience editor at the Belfast Telegraph, and had a YouTube channel with 37,000 subscribers.[1]
Murder
[edit]In planning the murder, McCullagh staged a pre-recorded live broadcast of himself playing Grand Theft Auto for six hours.[1] During the livestream, he noted to his viewers that he could not interact with them live, due to apparent technical issues.[1]
McCullagh took a bus to Lurgan on the night of the killing and returned home via taxi.[1]
Legal proceedings
[edit]McCullagh was initially arrested following the killing.[1] He was, however, ruled out as a suspect on the basis that he had an alibi and released.[1] Following this, he continued to interact with the McNally family in the weeks following the killing, at one time leaving his phone to record 40 minutes of audio in an attempt to determine if the family suspected him.[1]
McCullagh denied involvement in the murder, but stated in a written statement to police that the purported livestream was pre-recorded days beforehand.[1]
On 28 January, the National Women’s Council of Ireland organised a rally in McNally’s memory at Lurgan Park which were attended by hundreds including McNally's close family.[1]
On 2 February 2023, McCullagh appeared at Lisburn magistrates court in an hour-long trial conducted by video link.[1] Having denied the charges, he did not speak during the hour-long hearing.[1] Prosecutors argued that he had devised a “sophisticated, calculated and cool-headed plot” and was “capable of deception beyond imagination”.[1] He was denied an application for bail, and was remanded in custody.[1]
In September 2023, Kian Withers, a resident of Lurgan, was given a twelve-month sentence including three months in jail after admitting to committing an act outraging public decency. Withers had posted a "grossly offensive" edited and animated image of McNally to Facebook three times between 23 and 28 December 2022.[2]
McCullagh appeared at Belfast Crown Court on 12 January 2024 and pleaded not guilty to the murder.[3] His trial is scheduled for September, which the judge stated was "as fast as [they could] arrange", and is expected to last between three and four weeks.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Carroll, Rory (2 February 2023). "Man charged with NI murder 'faked live stream to provide alibi'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Sharkey, Kevin (29 September 2023). "Natalie McNally: Man sentenced for 'offensive' image of Lurgan woman". BBC News. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ a b Campbell, Cormac (12 January 2024). "Natalie McNally: Stephen McCullagh pleads not guilty to murder". BBC News. Retrieved 15 August 2024.