Stephen McCullagh, 36, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 31 years for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Natalie McNally, in December 2022. The killing occurred after McCullagh set up a fake YouTube livestream to create an alibi, then disguised himself before stabbing and strangling Ms McNally at her home.
During the five-week trial, it emerged that McCullagh initially blamed a 'previous boyfriend' for the murder and even attended Ms McNally's wake on Christmas Day. The court heard that after the attack, he left her head in a dog bowl. Sentencing at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice Kinney said no punishment could 'possibly reflect the value of Natalie's life, or indeed that of her unborn child, Dean.'
Reports indicate that McCullagh now has a 'target on his back' in prison. Sources say he was kept in the hospital wing of HMP Maghaberry in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, for his own protection before sentencing, and now rarely interacts with other inmates. One insider claimed staff are unlikely to intervene if he were attacked.
Rachel Fletcher, a managing partner at Slater Heelis solicitors, explained that vulnerable and high-profile inmates are often placed in prison hospitals as a precaution due to over-capacity. She noted that while prison sentences are typically 'rocky' at first, inmates usually adapt by 'keeping their heads down.'
