Prosecution Details 'Horrendous and Savage' Beating in Natalie McNally Murder Trial
The jury at Belfast Crown Court has been presented with harrowing details of the final moments of Natalie McNally's life, described by prosecutors as a "horrendous and savage beating" that culminated in her murder. The court heard that the man accused of killing the 32-year-old pregnant woman, Stephen McCullagh, had constructed an elaborate false alibi centered around a pre-recorded gaming livestream.
False Alibi Exposed Through Cyber Crime Investigation
Prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor KC told the court that McCullagh had "lied and lied again" about his whereabouts on the night of December 18, 2022, when McNally was beaten and stabbed at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh. The 36-year-old defendant from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn has denied the murder charge.
Mr MacCreanor revealed that McCullagh's claim of broadcasting a live Grand Theft Auto gaming session on YouTube between 6pm and midnight that evening was "a complete fabrication." Forensic analysis by police cyber crime experts determined the six-hour broadcast had actually been prepared four days in advance.
"That period, 6pm to midnight, is the period when Natalie McNally was murdered," the barrister emphasized to the jury. "You have to decide if that was a coincidence."CCTV Evidence and Disguises
The prosecution presented compelling CCTV evidence showing a person with a bag traveling between Lisburn and Lurgan on the evening of the murder. The footage allegedly depicts the individual changing clothing and adopting disguises, including a hat and wig, with one particular look featuring a mop of black hair that "bears comparison" to photographs of McCullagh on Instagram.
Mr MacCreanor highlighted that McCullagh had searched online for Sunday train timetables between Lurgan and Lisburn, and bus schedules between Dunmurry and Lurgan, just hours before McNally was killed. "It just so happens that is the bus the man with the bag gets on," he noted, connecting the digital searches to the CCTV evidence.
Gruesome Details of the Attack
The court heard disturbing details about McNally's injuries, which included three stab wounds to the neck, multiple traumatic blows to her head, and injuries consistent with throttling and choking. The 15-weeks-pregnant woman was found with her face in a dog bowl, a detail Mr MacCreanor described with evident distress.
Despite McCullagh's claim in his police statement that there was no physical evidence against him, the prosecutor countered: "There is an abundance of evidence that all links in and ties together."
Deception Extended to Grieving Family
Perhaps most chillingly, the court heard how McCullagh attended McNally's wake at her family home on Christmas Day, just one week after her murder. There, he allegedly accepted consolation and support from the grieving family while maintaining his false alibi about the gaming livestream.
"The family literally bring him in, they console him, they support him, they help him," Mr MacCreanor told the jury. "What is he telling them? That he was doing a livestream. They tell you they saw him as distraught and upset and they believed it all."
Defendant's Response to Evidence
When police confronted McCullagh during his eighth interview with evidence that the gaming stream had been pre-recorded, he reportedly responded that this was "literally impossible" because the session was on YouTube. The barrister characterized this as McCullagh trying to "hold on to the false alibi" even as he knew he had been exposed.
McCullagh subsequently provided a pre-prepared statement to police in which he admitted the stream had been recorded days in advance, claiming he had been consuming alcohol and asleep for most of the evening when McNally was killed. Mr MacCreanor dismissed this as "a further lie" constructed out of necessity.
Final Moments and Aftermath
The court heard that McNally had been watching the World Cup final with her family before returning home, where she sent McCullagh a message about Argentina's victory. Approximately thirty minutes later, CCTV footage shows a figure appearing near McCullagh's home and beginning to walk.
Despite the alleged murder occurring that evening, McCullagh continued to text and phone McNally later that night and again the following day. He eventually went to her home on December 19 and called emergency services.
In a particularly poignant detail, the prosecution revealed that McNally had logged into YouTube on the night she was killed to watch part of McCullagh's gaming broadcast. "It is for you to decide," Mr MacCreanor told the jury, "have you any doubt that he is sitting, drinking at home when this recording is going out or that he is making his way to her house to kill her."
The defence is scheduled to deliver its final submissions on Thursday as this emotionally charged murder trial continues at Belfast Crown Court.
