A YouTuber who staged a fake livestream as an alibi has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for the murder of his pregnant partner. Stephen McCullagh, 36, from Lisburn, County Antrim, showed no emotion as he was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court for the killing of Natalie McNally in December 2022.
The judge, Mr Justice Kinney, described the murder as “cold-blooded and calculated”. McCullagh stabbed, strangled and bludgeoned Ms McNally, 32, at her home in Lurgan while a pre-recorded video of him playing Grand Theft Auto streamed on his YouTube channel. The recording, made four nights earlier, showed him wearing a Santa hat, eating snacks and drinking Guinness, saying: “I am not leaving the house tonight.”
Prosecutor Catherine Kierans called the alibi an “elaborate charade” and said she had never seen a domestic murder with such premeditation. McCullagh wore a disguise and gloves to the attack and later suggested a former boyfriend was responsible. After the murder, he attended Ms McNally’s wake, appearing grief-stricken, and was allowed time alone with her coffin.
Police initially released McCullagh after viewing the livestream, but re-arrested him when they discovered it was pre-recorded. He was convicted in March after a five-week trial. The judge said McCullagh intended to kill both Ms McNally and their unborn child, and that he had placed her face in a dog bowl after the attack to humiliate her.
Outside court, Ms McNally’s father, Noel, spoke of the family’s “unimaginable pain and grief” and said the sentence should serve as a deterrent against violence against women and girls.
