Natalie McNally Murder Trial: Ex-Partner Admits to Lying to Police
Belfast Crown Court has heard that an ex-partner of Natalie McNally repeatedly lied to police in the wake of her murder, attempting to protect himself. Stephen McCullagh, 36, is on trial for the murder of Ms. McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022. He has denied the charge.
‘Lying and Lying Again’
The ex-partner, whose identity is protected by a court order, told the court he initially wanted to “tell the truth for Natalie,” even if it meant self-incrimination. However, he admitted to resetting his phone before being interviewed and providing false information about the extent of his contact with Ms. McNally.
Defence barrister John Kearney KC accused the man of “doing his best to facilitate himself” and “deliberately leaving out anything that you thought would be a problem for you.” He directly stated, “I want to suggest to you what you were doing was lying and lying and lying again.”
The man conceded there were “little white lies” regarding contact with Ms. McNally, but maintained his statement wasn’t entirely fabricated. He explained his actions by stating, “Someone’s just been killed, there are detectives in your house, you don’t grasp what’s going on… I got arrested a day later and you can see I addressed all of the lies in it.”
Previous Testimony and Accusations
The trial has previously heard that McCullagh initially told police Ms. McNally’s ex-partner was responsible for her death. The ex-partner dismissed this claim as “ridiculous” when questioned in court. He described Ms. McNally as his “best friend” and asserted that Stephen McCullagh was responsible for her death.
Details of the Night of the Murder
The court heard the ex-partner was watching the World Cup final with his then-partner on the night of the murder, and his then-partner had a video of him asleep on the sofa. He learned of Ms. McNally’s death through a Snapchat message from a neighbor, who informed him she had been stabbed at the top of her stairs.
Concerns Over Drug Possession and Phone Reset
The man admitted to factory resetting his phone days after the murder, not due to the crime itself, but because he was concerned about the discovery of drugs in his home. He stated he had a “big bag of weed” in a cupboard and feared police would find it. “I factory reset it for a reason… it had nothing to do with deleting messages between me and Natalie,” he told the court. He added that he regretted the decision, but was panicked about the potential discovery of illegal substances.
Admission of ‘Nasty’ Messaging
The ex-partner also admitted to sending “nasty” and “dirty” messages to Ms. McNally, acknowledging he had taken advantage of her. He expressed remorse, stating, “I’m not proud of any of them… the poor girl is dead and this is what we’re talking about… it’s so bad.” He revealed he had a drinking problem at the time and was often intoxicated when sending the messages, stating he is now eight weeks sober.
The trial, before Mr Justice Patrick Kinney and a jury of six men and six women, is expected to last approximately five weeks. Ms. McNally’s family and friends are present in court throughout the proceedings.