Natalie McNally murder accused ‘lied and lied again’, jury told

By Jonathan McCambridge, Press Association

The man accused of murdering Natalie McNally “lied and lied again”, a barrister has told Belfast Crown Court.

The jury in the trial of Stephen McCullagh has been told the prosecution case is “strong and compelling”.

McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18th, 2022.

Her partner, Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, is on trial accused of murdering her.

He has denied the charge.

Delivering his closing statement in the case, prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor told the jury McCullagh had chosen not to give evidence to his trial.

He said the defendant had chosen to rely in his defence on what he had said in police interviews and in a pre-prepared statement.

The barrister said the things he had claimed could not be tested in the trial.

He said: “Our submission to you is that this is a strong prosecution case, a compelling prosecution case that he is guilty.”

MacCreanor told the jury if McCullagh had an innocent explanation for his actions, they would have heard it.

He said: “You may feel is that one of the reasons you haven’t heard from him, there’s no answer that he could ever give that could stand up to scrutiny.”

The barrister turned to a “false” livestream broadcast by McCullagh of him playing Grand Theft Auto on the night McNally was murdered.

He said: “That was the defendant’s false alibi, of that there can be no doubt.

Our case is he has lied and lied again. He has lied to Natalie, he has lied to his friends, he has lied to the McNally family, he has lied to police at the scene

“His claim that between 6pm and midnight he was going live was a complete fabrication.

“He repeatedly and to different people lied that he was doing a live show.”

The barrister said the evidence in the trial showed McCullagh had prepared the six-hour gaming broadcast four days in advance.

He said: “That period, 6pm to midnight, is the period when Natalie McNally was murdered.”

He said the jury had to decide if that was a coincidence.

The barrister added: “He set up his false alibi. He could not be the murderer, that is what that recording is about.”

MacCreanor said McCullagh had been “caught out” by a police cybercrime report.

He said: “All those lies he told where then exposed.

“Why would you need a false alibi? Because he murdered Natalie McNally.”

He said: “Our case is he has lied and lied again.

“He has lied to Natalie, he has lied to his friends, he has lied to the McNally family, he has lied to police at the scene.”