Stephen McCullagh's, 36, legal team has formally lodged an appeal against the 31-year minimum term he received for the murder of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally. The appeal against sentence comes after his conviction in March this year, following a four-week trial where McCullagh consistently denied involvement in Ms McNally's death.
Natalie McNally, 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, was tragically killed in her home in Silverwood Green, Lurgan, on 18 December 2022. Initially, detectives believed McCullagh had discovered her body and he was subsequently released after providing an alibi that claimed he was live streaming on YouTube at the time of her death.
However, further investigation revealed crucial evidence that dismantled this alibi: the YouTube gaming stream McCullagh presented as live had actually been pre-recorded to appear as if it were happening in real-time. Subsequent findings included CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and taxi records meticulously tracing his movements on the night of the murder. This led to McCullagh's re-arrest in January 2023, followed by a charge for Natalie McNally's murder. The jury delivered a unanimous conviction.
During sentencing in June, the judge described the crime as "a brutal and senseless murder planned in remorseless detail," highlighting its cold-blooded and calculated nature. In a pre-sentence report, McCullagh reportedly referred to himself as "a monster." Natalie's father, Noel McNally, spoke outside the court, conveying the family's unimaginable pain and grief, stating that while they do not celebrate the sentence, it serves as a "life sentence" for them following their loss.