A senior prosecutor has described the murder of Natalie McNally by her partner Stephen McCullagh as an 'unprecedented' case of domestic violence, marked by an extraordinary level of premeditation. McCullagh, 36, was sentenced to at least 31 years in prison on Wednesday for the murder of Ms McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant with their son at the time of her death in December 2022.
Catherine Kierans, assistant director of the Public Prosecution Service's serious crime unit, said she had never encountered a domestic murder with such calculated planning. McCullagh had created a fake six-hour YouTube livestream as an alibi, which he claimed was recorded live during the murder. Police later proved the video was pre-recorded and played on the day of the killing.
Ms Kierans described the case as 'chilling', noting McCullagh's attempts to frame Ms McNally's ex-partner for the crime. He also ingratiated himself with the bereaved family and secretly recorded their private conversations. The prosecutor said the case involved 'absolutely calculated murder planned at least for several days in advance'.
Despite the circumstantial nature of the evidence, Ms Kierans said she was confident in the case. Police analysed thousands of hours of CCTV to trace the killer's journey from Dunmurry to Lurgan and back, and found that McCullagh disposed of rubbish in a bin scheduled for collection the next morning. His phone, inactive during the murder, reactivated shortly after.
McCullagh was found guilty by a jury at Belfast Crown Court earlier this year after a five-week trial. At the tariff hearing, he was told he must serve at least 31 years before being considered for release. Ms Kierans said the case was 'unprecedented' in her 27-year legal career, highlighting the 'insidious' nature of the killer's actions.
