Stephen McCullagh was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 31 years for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Natalie McNally. He faked a six-hour gaming livestream as an alibi, then beat, strangled, and stabbed her in a frenzied attack. He later attempted to frame her ex-boyfriend and attended her wake.
A YouTuber who staged a sinister fake gaming livestream to cover up his pregnant girlfriend 's murder has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 31 years.
Stephen McCullagh, 32, killed Natalie McNally in Lurgan, County Armagh on December 18, 2022. He had pre-recorded himself playing Grand Theft Auto on a stream titled 'No Time To Die', which lasted six hours. During that time, he traveled to his partner's home, where he beat, strangled, and stabbed her to death before returning home. The entire attack lasted just 40 minutes.
Ms McNally, 32, suffered three stab wounds to the neck, multiple traumatic blows to the head, and injuries consistent with strangulation. She was 15 weeks pregnant with McCullagh's child. After the murder, McCullagh left her face down in a dog bowl and attempted to frame her ex-boyfriend for the crime. The next day, he pretended to discover her body, making a mock-hysterical phone call to emergency services.
He then attended her wake on Christmas Day at her parents' home and participated in a public rally in her memory, where he was described as her 'loving partner'. Police initially ruled him out as a suspect but arrested him in late January after deducing the livestream was fake. The fake stream remained on his YouTube channel, which had 37,000 followers, until he was found guilty of murder in March 2024.
Trial judge Mr Justice Kinney described the stream as an integral part of his plan to murder his partner, noting that McCullagh had recorded himself wearing a Santa hat and playing Grand Theft Auto to create an alibi. The judge said McCullagh's culpability was extremely high, describing the attack as brutal and frenzied. He stated that the defendant did not just kill Natalie McNally; her unborn child also died as a result of the murderous assault.
The judge highlighted that McCullagh was fully aware she was pregnant and intended to kill her, knowing the baby would have no chance of survival. He added that McCullagh planned the murder in remorseless detail, attacked someone he professed to love in a frenzied assault characterized by excessive and gratuitous violence, and despite the frenzy, the killing was cold-blooded and calculated, as evidenced by extensive planning and actions afterwards.
McCullagh gave no reaction as the sentence was handed down, and Ms McNally's loved ones watched in silence before hugging each other. Prosecutors said they have never encountered a murder with such a level of premeditation. Catherine Kierans of the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland said it was absolutely chilling to watch the pre-recorded broadcast knowing what he was planning.
She noted the level of planning, including wearing a disguise, forensic awareness, and framing the ex-partner, was off the scale. McCullagh was caught thanks to CCTV evidence showing him traveling from Dunmurry to Lurgan and then returning home via taxi after missing the last train, where he was seen disposing of clothing in a bin that was emptied the next day. Phone data also showed his mobile phone was inactive during the killing and reactivated upon his return home.
The fake livestream included references to murder, which prosecutors found sinister. McCullagh has never given any explanation for his actions. The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 31 years, noting his behaviour towards the McNally family showed his absolute determination to cover his tracks. The case illustrates the extreme lengths to which some individuals will go to conceal their crimes, leveraging modern technology in a chilling and calculated manner.
The murder of Natalie McNally and her unborn child has left a community in mourning and serves as a stark reminder of the devastation caused by domestic violence
Youtuber Fake Livestream Murder Pregnant Girlfriend Premeditation
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