YouTuber Stephen McCullagh Convicted of Natalie McNally Murder; Account Deleted
Stephen McCullagh, 36, has been found guilty of the murder of Natalie McNally, 32, who was 15 weeks pregnant with his child. The verdict was delivered unanimously at Belfast Crown Court on March 23, 2026, following a trial that revealed McCullagh attempted to conceal his crime with a pre-recorded YouTube livestream. The Irish Times and BBC News reported on the conviction and subsequent sentencing.
Details of the Crime and Cover-Up
Natalie McNally was murdered at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, on December 18, 2022. Wikipedia details the timeline of events. The prosecution argued that McCullagh beat, strangled, and stabbed Ms. McNally after discovering messages she had exchanged with other men. To create an alibi, McCullagh uploaded a six-hour pre-recorded gaming livestream to his YouTube channel at 6 p.m. On the night of the murder, falsely presenting it as a live event. He then traveled from Lisburn to Lurgan by bus to commit the crime.
Evidence presented at trial included taxi records showing McCullagh taking a taxi from Lurgan back to Lisburn after the murder, as he missed the last train. He claimed this was an attempt by the real killer to frame him.
YouTube Account Termination and Financial Implications
Following McCullagh’s conviction, his YouTube account, which had approximately 44,000 subscribers, was terminated by YouTube. The Independent reported on this development. Prior to the account’s removal, police had already demonetized the livestream video to prevent McCullagh from profiting from it, but other content on the channel remained capable of generating income.
Family Tributes and Sentencing
The McNally family expressed their grief and praised Natalie as an “inspirational person” who would have been a wonderful mother. BBC News shared tributes from Natalie’s brother, Declan, who stated having her in their lives was “the greatest joy we’ll ever have.” Her brother Niall described her as “the best sister ever” with a “heart of gold.”
Judge Patrick Kinney sentenced McCullagh to life imprisonment, with the minimum tariff to be determined at a later date. He commended the jury for their diligence and the McNally family for their dignity throughout the difficult trial.
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