Man Accused of Killing Pregnant Girlfriend Claimed "Someone Had Knocked 10 Bells Out of Her"
A man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend made a tearful 999 call to police, telling them "someone had knocked 10 bells out of her", a crown court has heard. Stephen McCullagh, 36, is alleged to have been attempting to cover his tracks following the death of Natalie McNally.
Details of the Alleged Crime
Ms McNally, aged 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed in her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, just one week before Christmas in 2022. The prosecution described the murder as "planned, calculated and pre-meditated", asserting that McCullagh hoped to evade detection.
Stephen McCullagh, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has pleaded not guilty to her murder. He appeared in the dock at Belfast Crown Court, flanked by two prison guards, as family and friends of Ms McNally observed from the public gallery.
Prosecution's Case and Evidence
Prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor KC outlined the case against McCullagh on Monday morning. He detailed how Ms McNally's cause of death involved compression of her neck, indicative of finger tips grasping, along with three stab wounds to her neck from a bladed weapon and five lacerations to her head from heavy blows. Any of these injuries could have been fatal independently.
The prosecution contends that McCullagh fabricated a "cover story" involving a six-hour video game live stream on YouTube, under the username Votesaxon07, on the evening of Sunday, December 18, 2022. However, it is alleged that he pre-recorded the footage and instead traveled by bus to Ms McNally's home to commit the murder.
CCTV and bus footage displayed a man wearing a beanie hat with black hair, his face mostly concealed, boarding a bus in Dunmurray and alighting in Lurgan before walking toward Ms McNally's residence. The prosecution suggests he may have changed clothes and taken a taxi back to his Lisburn home around 11 pm.
Digital Evidence and 999 Call
Police examinations of McCullagh's devices revealed searches for bus times to Lurgan and that his phone was unlocked shortly after the taxi departed. Additionally, his distressed 999 call from the night of Monday, December 19, was played in court.
Paramedic Graham Thompson, the first witness, testified that upon entering Ms McNally's house, he found a very pale female lying on the floor at the top of the stairs with significant blood loss. Her hands and lips were purple or blue, and a visibly upset man was performing CPR, though resuscitation was deemed hopeless at that stage.
Trial Proceedings
A jury of six men and six women has been sworn in for the trial, which is anticipated to last approximately five weeks under Judge Mr Justice Patrick Kinney. The prosecution emphasized that it is up to the jury to determine whether McCullagh's actions, such as leaving his phone recording at Ms McNally's family home, were deliberate.
The trial continues as further evidence is presented in this harrowing case.
