Man Accused of Murdering Pregnant Girlfriend Allegedly Beat Previous Partner
A man on trial for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend in Northern Ireland has been accused of beating a previous partner and secretly recording her counselling sessions, a court heard on Friday. Stephen McCullagh, 36, from Lisburn, County Antrim, denies murdering Natalie McNally, 32, who was found dead at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022.
Details of the Alleged Assault on Ex-Girlfriend
The ex-girlfriend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified in Belfast Crown Court that she had an "off and on" relationship with McCullagh from 2015 to 2022. She described an incident in late 2019 when McCullagh became angry after discovering she had been messaging another man. "He pushed me abruptly, yanked the phone off me and pushed me into the bathtub," she said. Later that evening, while McCullagh was driving her home, she attempted to jump from the moving car, but he pulled her back and allegedly punched her in the temple, saying, "I could kill myself on my own time."
McCullagh's defence barrister, John Kearney KC, disputed these claims, stating his client had no recollection of a physical altercation in the bathroom and intervened in the car to save her life. The ex-girlfriend also alleged that McCullagh threatened to send private images from her phone to her family and friends and to burn sentimental items, which the defence also denied.
Covert Recording of Counselling Sessions Revealed
The court heard that the couple resumed contact in 2021, and the woman became pregnant in January 2022. After a stillbirth, she received counselling, with some sessions held in McCullagh's living room while he was in his bedroom. In 2024, police informed her that recordings of these sessions had been found on McCullagh's computer. She expressed shock, believing the sessions were confidential. The defence argued that McCullagh had offered to tape the sessions to help her get the most value from counselling and that she had agreed.
Allegations in the Murder of Natalie McNally
Prosecutors allege that McCullagh murdered McNally in a "planned, calculated and premeditated" attack. She suffered a prolonged assault including stab wounds to the neck, strangulation, and heavy blows to the head, according to a state pathologist. It is claimed that McCullagh fabricated an alibi by uploading a prerecorded six-hour gaming session to YouTube on December 18, 2022, to make it appear he was at home while actually committing the murder 17 miles away in Lurgan.
Evidence presented in court included testimony from a taxi driver, Jeffrey McAvoy, who said he picked up a passenger near Fa' Joe's Bar in Lurgan on the evening of the murder at 10:40 pm. The passenger, described as a "big person" with a bag, was dropped off in Lisburn at 11:13 pm and paid in cash. McCullagh is alleged to have disguised himself, taken a bus to Lurgan, walked to McNally's home, killed her, and then taken a taxi back.
The trial, being heard by a jury of six men and six women before Mr Justice Kinney, is expected to last five weeks. McCullagh met McNally on the dating app Bumble a few weeks after separating from his ex-girlfriend in early summer 2022.
