Livestream Alibi in Murder Trial Was Pre-Recorded Four Days Earlier, Court Hears
A police digital forensics analyst has testified that a livestream presented as an alibi in the murder trial of Stephen McCullagh was actually recorded four days before the alleged crime took place. The revelation came on the fourth day of the trial at Belfast Crown Court, where McCullagh stands accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Natalie McNally.
Details of the Alleged Crime
Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Natalie McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant with their son at the time of her death. Prosecutors allege that on December 18, 2022, McCullagh disguised himself and traveled by bus from his home in Co Antrim to Ms. McNally's residence in Lurgan, Co Armagh, where he carried out the killing.
The prosecution contends that McCullagh pre-recorded a six-hour livestream of himself playing computer games, drinking Guinness and Baileys, and then broadcast it as live on his YouTube account, Votesaxon07, to create a false alibi for the time of the murder. Earlier in the trial, the court heard that Ms. McNally, 32, suffered a prolonged assault involving stab wounds to the neck, strangulation, and heavy blows to the head.
Forensic Evidence Presented
Detective Constable Matthews, a digital forensic analyst, provided critical evidence on Thursday after examining McCullagh's computer. He stated that his analysis "provided extensive evidence indicating that the broadcast was pre-recorded and later streamed as a live event." According to DC Matthews, the livestream was recorded on December 14 and saved as a video file, with the creation completed in the early hours of December 15.
The software on McCullagh's computer showed no signs of user activity between 6 p.m. on December 18 and just after midnight on December 19, supporting the claim that the broadcast was not live. The video file was deleted in the early hours of December 19 and subsequently removed from the computer's recycle bin. DC Matthews outlined the timeline: "Activity relating to video recording was taking place on the 14th, the creation of the pre-recorded video file was completed on the 15th, in the early hours. There was the creation of a social media advert between the 14th and 17th and a live stream of a pre-recorded video file was carried out between the 18th and 19th, and finally the deletion of the said file in the early hours of the 19th, 2022."
CCTV and Surveillance Footage
The trial also featured clips from CCTV and doorbell cameras showing a person walking from McCullagh's street to a bus stop, boarding a bus to Lurgan while paying with cash, and then proceeding to Ms. McNally's street on the evening of December 18. Later footage depicted the same individual, now wearing different clothing, walking from Ms. McNally's street into Lurgan and entering a taxi outside Fa Joes bar. The taxi was later seen arriving on McCullagh's street.
McCullagh, wearing a grey T-shirt and jeans, sat between two prison staff in the dock during the proceedings, with Ms. McNally's family and friends observing from the public gallery. The prosecution has characterized the murder as "planned, calculated and premeditated, one which he (McCullagh) hoped to get away with." A jury of six men and six women has been sworn in for the trial, which is expected to last around five weeks under Mr. Justice Patrick Kinney. The trial will resume on Monday.
