Content creator Stephen McCullagh played pre-recorded footage, then sneaked out and stabbed his pregnant girlfriend. Photo / @stephenmcculla
Content creator Stephen McCullagh played pre-recorded footage, then sneaked out and stabbed his pregnant girlfriend. Photo / @stephenmcculla
A content creator tried to use a pre-recorded YouTube stream as an alibi when he murdered his pregnant girlfriend, a court has heard.
Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when Stephen McCullagh killed her at her home in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, in December 2022.
McCullagh, 36, claimed tobe livestreaming a Grand Theft Auto video gaming session at the time of the murder, which initially ruled him out from police suspicion.
McNally’s bereaved family welcomed him into their home and allowed him time alone with her coffin to say goodbye.
However, police arrested him after analysis of the supposed livestream found it had been pre-recorded.
He would later use the game as a “false alibi” to claim he had been 32km away in Lisburn.
To his 37,000 subscribers on YouTube, McCullagh said technical difficulties meant that he would not be able to respond to live comments when the stream began at 6pm.
In the video, he introduced the game as one of his childhood favourites, and as he poured himself a Guinness, he joked he would be drinking and driving but added: “In the game by the way – I’m not leaving the house tonight”.
However, while this pre-recorded video was running, he left the house, with bus CCTV showing a man wearing a face covering travelling from Dunmurry to Lurgan.
He was arrested after Northern Ireland’s police cybercrime unit debunked his claim of having been at home playing video games.
Today, he was convicted of McNally’s murder by a jury at Belfast Crown Court, following a five-week trial.
The family of Natalie McNally celebrated outside Belfast Crown Court after Stephen McCullagh was found guilty of the murder. Photo / Getty Images
McNally’s family and friends filled the public gallery and cheered after the verdict was announced.
A detective told him that his devices had been examined and there was no user-generated activity during the hours when he claimed to be broadcasting live.
McCullagh later admitted the gaming session had been pre-recorded but insisted he had been asleep at home at the time of the murder.
The couple met on the dating app Bumble in August 2022 and, when McNally told him she was pregnant three months into their relationship, he appeared to take the news well. But by December 2022, the couple were having arguments.
Prosecutors showed the jury CCTV footage of McCullagh’s 35-minute journey, during which he was wearing a face covering, bag and black gloves.
Just after midnight on December 19, the gaming broadcast was manually stopped.
Claimed an ex was responsible
Stephen McCullagh believed an ex-boyfriend had been responsible for her death. Photo / @stephenmcculla
McCullagh messaged McNally several times throughout the next day, claiming he was getting “very concerned” about her lack of a response.
He arrived at her address later that evening and called 999, telling the operator “she’s gone” and “there’s blood everywhere”.
McCullagh was questioned by police and said he believed an ex-boyfriend had been responsible.
On December 20, he was released by police and went on to visit McNally’s family home over the Christmas period to attend a wake, as well as a service celebrating her life.
Justice Kinney, the judge presiding over the trial, told McCullagh the offence of murder came with a mandatory life sentence.
A tariff hearing to determine the minimum amount of time McCullagh must spend in jail will be held in May.
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