Ex-Girlfriend Details Abuse by Stephen McCullagh in Natalie McNally Murder Trial
A former girlfriend of Stephen McCullagh has provided harrowing testimony at his murder trial, describing a pattern of physical violence, threats, and secret recordings during their tumultuous seven-year relationship. The trial, taking place at Belfast Crown Court, centres on the alleged murder of McCullagh's pregnant girlfriend, Natalie McNally, in December 2022.
Violent Incidents and Threats Revealed in Court
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, recounted meeting McCullagh in late 2015 and engaging in an "off and on" relationship. She detailed a particularly distressing incident spanning the final days of 2019, which culminated in a suicide attempt. According to her testimony, after discovering messages and photos she had shared with another man on her phone, McCullagh became enraged, slamming his fist into a bed and shouting repeatedly, "Why would you do this? I thought you loved me."
Defence barrister John Kearney stated that McCullagh had no recollection of punching the bed. The arguments persisted into New Year's Eve, with the woman feeling "embarrassed" about her messages but expressing a desire to reconcile. She emphasised that she was not communicating with the other man while with McCullagh.
Escalation to Physical Assault and Coercive Control
The situation escalated when McCullagh returned from work, and after a "tussle" in the garden where he pushed her "abruptly," he allegedly pushed her into a bath with his elbow inside the house. Kearney noted McCullagh had "no recollection" of this bath incident. Later, in the early hours, McCullagh drove her while she wore pyjamas, initially threatening to take her to the other man's house. When she expressed suicidal thoughts, unbuckled her seatbelt, and tried to jump from the moving car at 45-50 mph, he stopped abruptly, pulled her back in, and then slapped her face and punched her temple.
She testified he told her, "I can kill myself in my own time" and "I don't want this to be a murder car." Kearney accepted that McCullagh did slap her but denied the punch and the specific language used. Additionally, the woman said McCullagh threatened to share the images from her phone with families and her workplace, and to burn her sentimental possessions, though Kearney said McCullagh denied making threats and claimed he only remarked that "a lesser man would smash your Playstation, or burn your stuff."
Aftermath and Secret Recordings of Counselling Sessions
Following the incident, the woman reported McCullagh to police but withdrew her statement within 48 hours, saying, "I didn't want him to go to prison." The relationship resumed post-pandemic, and she experienced a stillbirth on January 7, 2022. Struggling with poor mental health, she attended counselling sessions at McCullagh's home. In 2024, police informed her that some sessions had been secretly recorded and found on his computers. She stated she was never asked for consent and was unaware of the recordings.
Kearney countered that McCullagh claimed he offered to tape sessions because she struggled to remember what was discussed, but she replied, "He never discussed with me recording my sessions." Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, denies the murder of Natalie McNally. The trial continues, shedding light on a complex web of alleged abuse and control preceding the tragic case.
