Neighbours Heard Screams and Noises on Night Natalie McNally Died, Trial Hears
Neighbours of a pregnant woman who was killed in 2022 reported hearing screams and unusual noises on the night she died, a court has been told. Stephen McCullagh stands accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Natalie McNally, in December 2022.
Ms McNally, aged 32, was fatally stabbed at her home on Silverwood Green in Lurgan on the evening of December 18, 2022. At the time, she was 15 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. McCullagh, 36, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charge.
Neighbour Testimonies Describe Disturbing Events
During proceedings at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday, two neighbours provided detailed accounts of what they witnessed and heard on the night in question. Emils Sosins, who resided next door to Ms McNally, testified that he heard "banging and screaming" emanating from her home at approximately 9pm.
He described the noise as lasting between three to five seconds, noting it sounded like a female voice, though he could not discern any specific words. Sosins stated that after the initial disturbance, he listened intently for further sounds but heard nothing more. "I was going to go and see what was happening if there was anything further, but there was nothing afterwards," he told the court.
Aisling Henry, who lived in a flat behind Ms McNally's property, also gave evidence. She observed that Ms McNally's patio blinds were completely down that evening, which she found unusual as they "were never down." Henry reported hearing a noise that caught her attention, describing it as "like a sharp intake of breath, like a scream."
Additionally, she saw a shadow on the patio blinds that appeared to be from a "big man or a tall woman," noting the figure seemed broad. Henry mentioned seeing an orange cloth through a gap at the bottom of the blinds, which raised her suspicions. When questioned by defence barrister John Kearney KC about whether the back door was open, she recalled it had been on previous evenings but could not confirm for that specific night.
Family Members Recall Wake Conversations
Earlier on Wednesday, Kathleen McStravock, an aunt of Ms McNally, testified about statements allegedly made by McCullagh during the wake held for Ms McNally at the family home on Christmas Day. She recounted that McCullagh claimed to have texted Ms McNally at 5.55pm on Sunday, informing her he would not be in touch as he was about to start a livestream.
According to McStravock, McCullagh said Ms McNally replied wishing him good luck and indicated she "might jump on later" to view the stream. He allegedly messaged again after the livestream to express hope that she was not upset about him drinking, and was not concerned by her lack of reply as it was after midnight.
McCullagh reportedly stated that he sent a 'good morning' message the next day and, upon checking his phone at midday, noticed his WhatsApp messages still displayed grey ticks rather than blue, indicating they had not been read. After checking again in the afternoon, he messaged a friend asking, "have I messed up here," and shared screenshots of his texts to Ms McNally. The friend suggested he ask her a question, leading McCullagh to inquire whether she wanted KFC or home cooking after her scan the following day.
Another aunt, Anne Anderson, testified that McCullagh showed her a photograph of himself as a baby, claiming it resembled what his and Ms McNally's child would have looked like. She also mentioned he displayed photos from a holiday in Donegal, a knitted baby hat, and a pram he intended to purchase. When defence barrister Mr Kearney suggested the baby photo might have been a generated image, Anderson firmly denied this, stating, "No, definitely not."
Anderson further recalled McCullagh mentioning that a few nights before the murder, Ms McNally's phone rang with a withheld number while they were in bed. He believed it was her ex-boyfriend, though he was unsure if she answered.
Cousins Describe Emotional Encounters with Defendant
Gavin Haddock, a cousin of Ms McNally, provided evidence about an encounter with McCullagh at the McNally family home on January 7, 2022. He described joining McCullagh in the back garden for a smoke, where McCullagh was playing a YouTube video on his phone, identified as the livestream from December 18.
Haddock noted that McCullagh repeatedly said, "look at me playing these stupid little video games," and appeared "very distraught." McCullagh fast-forwarded the video by three hours, aligning it with the time Ms McNally died, and expressed remorse, stating, "I should have been there to protect Natalie" and that no one would have gotten past him. Haddock expressed sympathy, telling McCullagh he had "struck gold" with Ms McNally in an attempt to offer reassurance.
Ryan Bonner, partner of Natalie's cousin Noeleen, was also present in the garden that day. After Haddock left, Bonner was alone with McCullagh, who showed him his phone and said, "this is what I was doing." Bonner recounted placing a hand on McCullagh's shoulder and telling him "there was nothing he could have done to stop it."
The trial is set to continue on Thursday, with further evidence expected to be presented.
