Natalie McNally's Ex-Partner Accused of Repeated Lies to Police During Murder Trial
Belfast Crown Court has heard dramatic allegations that Natalie McNally's former partner engaged in persistent deception during the police investigation into her death. The 32-year-old woman, who was 15 weeks pregnant at the time, was killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022.
"Lying and Lying and Lying Again"
Defence barrister John Kearney KC directly challenged the unnamed witness, stating he had been "doing his best to help himself" and "deliberately left out anything that you thought would be a problem for you." Mr. Kearney asserted: "I want to suggest to you what you were doing was lying and lying and lying again."
The man acknowledged there had been "little white lies" regarding his level of contact with Ms. McNally but maintained his overall statement was "not full of lies." He explained the pressure of the situation, noting: "Someone's just been killed, there are detectives in your house, you don't know what's going on."
Murder Trial Details
Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, stands trial for Ms. McNally's murder, a charge he denies. The court previously heard McCullagh told police that Ms. McNally's ex-partner was responsible for her death, a claim the witness dismissed as "ridiculous" when presented in court on Monday.
The former partner described Ms. McNally as his best friend and insisted McCullagh was responsible for her death. A jury of six men and six women has been sworn in for the trial, expected to last approximately five weeks before Mr. Justice Patrick Kinney.
Phone Factory Reset and Drug Concerns
During Tuesday's proceedings, the witness admitted factory resetting his mobile phone days after the murder but claimed this action was unrelated to Ms. McNally's death. He explained: "I factory reset it for a reason... it had nothing to do with deleting messages between me and Natalie."
His motivation stemmed from concerns about drugs in his residence, stating: "I had two detectives sitting in my flat while I had a 'big bag of weed' in a cupboard." He added: "My best friend had just been murdered, detectives were in my house, I wanted to get there quick."
Admission of Problematic Behavior
The witness conceded some messages sent to Ms. McNally "weren't nice" and that he had taken advantage of her. He revealed personal struggles, stating: "I have had a drinking problem, I'm eight weeks sober tomorrow... Back then I was drinking every night."
He expressed remorse about the correspondence, saying: "I'm not proud of any of them, this is so difficult to sit here and look at these, the poor girl is dead."
Discovery of the Crime
The court heard the man first learned of Ms. McNally's death through a Snapchat message from one of her neighbours, who reported: "She's been murdered, I think she said Natalie has been stabbed at the top of her stairs." Initially, he speculated the killing might have been accidental or connected to a possible miscarriage following recent negative messaging between them.
Ms. McNally's family and friends have been observing proceedings from the public gallery as the trial continues to unfold with further evidence expected in the coming weeks.
