McCullagh Convicted of Murdering Pregnant Partner

0:00On March 23rd, a jury in Belfast has convicted 36-year-old Stephen McCullough of murdering his pregnant partner, 32-year-old Natalie. McNally. She was 15 weeks pregnant when she suffered a brutal attack at her home in Lurgen County, Armagh, on December 18th, 2022. The trial lasted five weeks at Belfast Crown Court, and the verdict came after just two hours of jury deliberations. Prosecutors said McCullough created a fake alibi by pre-recording a six-hour gaming livestream on YouTube, pretending to play grand theft auto from his. Home in Lisburn, nearly 20 miles away, he claimed technical issues kept him from interacting with viewers that night between 8.50 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. Meanwhile, he traveled to her house and carried out the killing. Natalie's family and friends packed the courtroom gallery and cheered loudly when the guilty verdict was announced. McCullough showed no reaction as it was read out. The defense had pointed to her former boyfriend as the killer, but the evidence convinced the 12-person jury otherwise.

1:02Police cyber experts debunked the alibi by examining his devices, proving the stream was recorded days earlier on December 14th. McCullough later admitted in a statement that he pre-recorded it and had been drinking that night. The couple had met on a dating app months before and shared hundreds of messages. This conviction brings some closure after a long investigation, as McCullough faces sentencing for the loss of Natalie and her unborn child.