Stephen McCullagh is staring down a lengthy prison sentence.
The 36-year-old man has been sentenced to at least 31 years in prison for the 2022 murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Natalie McNally.
As a lot of you may have heard, the case involving the tragic loss of McNally has concluded. Earlier this year, McCullagh was found guilty of murder after a lengthy trial. It was a deeply emotional day in court, and I can only imagine the pain McNally’s family felt – they were there for the sentencing in June, understandably clinging to each other for support and shedding tears.
McCullagh nearly succeeded in hiding his crime. On December 18, 2022, he livestreamed on YouTube for about six hours while McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant, was murdered in her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland – strangled and stabbed to death.
McCullagh was arrested by the Northern Ireland police the day after the crime, but quickly released. YouTube stated his livestream seemed to show he was broadcasting live, which initially provided a strong alibi. According to the BBC, in the following weeks, he went to the victim’s wake, publicly accused her ex-boyfriend of the murder, and even recorded conversations with the victim’s family, seemingly trying to gather information about the investigation.
According to BBC reporting, PSNI senior investigating officer Neil McGuines stated that McCullagh believed he wouldn’t face consequences for his actions. He was portraying himself as the victim to his friends, the McNally family, and the public in Lurgan.
Soon enough, however, McCullagh’s alibi unraveled.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), with assistance from their cybercrime team, investigated the source of his broadcast. According to the BBC, this investigation showed that McCullagh’s six-hour “livestream” wasn’t live at all, but was actually recorded days in advance.
However, security camera footage showed that while he appeared to be live-streaming the video game Grand Theft Auto on YouTube, he was actually traveling by bus from Lisburn to Lurgan while disguised. He used this trip to go to McNally’s home and commit the murder. He was arrested again on January 21, 2023, and his trial began three years after that.
At the sentencing hearing, the judge emphasized that McCullagh’s crime was more than just the death of Natalie McNally.
It’s just… horrifying. The judge said her baby also died, because of what he did! He knew Natalie was pregnant, and he didn’t care at all. He went after her with the full intention of killing her, and he understood even that tiny, innocent life inside her wouldn’t stand a chance. It’s just… I can’t even process how someone could be so cruel. He deliberately killed her baby too. It’s devastating.
After the sentence was announced, McNally’s father, Noel McNally, spoke to the reporters and others who had gathered, with his wife, Bernie McNally, and their sons standing beside him.
Although we’re still serving life sentences for the murder of our beloved Natalie, Bernie, my sons and I don’t find joy in today’s outcome. We hope it will discourage violence against women and girls and help prevent future tragedies in this country, according to the BBC.
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2026-06-04 17:49