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Man accused of Natalie McNally’s murder beat previous partner, court told

Stephen McCullagh also covertly recorded ex-girlfriend’s counselling sessions after loss of a baby, jury hears A man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in Northern Ireland beat a previous partner, a court has heard. Stephen McCullagh also covertly recorded the counselling sessions of the woman, just months before he met and allegedly killed Natalie McNally, Belfast crown court was told on Friday. McCullagh, 36, of Lisburn, County Antrim, denies murdering McNally, 32, who was found dead at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022. She was subjected to a prolonged assault that included stab wounds to the neck, strangulation and heavy blows to the head, according to a state pathologist. Prosecutors allege McCullagh uploaded a prerecorded gaming session to YouTube and pretended it was a live stream to confect an alibi for a crime that was “planned, calculated and premeditated”. On Friday, the ninth day of the trial, the ex-girlfriend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she met McCullagh in 2015 and that they had an “off and on” relationship for seven years. At the end of 2019 they met at his home to try to reconcile after a break-up, she said. Mc

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Mar 24, 2026
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Mar 6, 2026 → Mar 24, 2026

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Mar 24, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet report
Natalie McNally: 'We treated her like a princess, we'll love her forever'

It's Sunday 18 December 2022 and Lionel Messi is lifting the World Cup trophy on TV while a delighted Natalie McNally watches on. The 32-year-old is a huge fan of the Argentinian footballer. She's in her parents' living room, they've just…

Read original at BBC →
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March 2026

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Mar 24, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet reportLATEST
Natalie McNally: 'We treated her like a princess, we'll love her forever'

It's Sunday 18 December 2022 and Lionel Messi is lifting the World Cup trophy on TV while a delighted Natalie McNally watches on. The 32-year-old is a huge fan of the Argentinian footballer. She's in her parents' living…

Read original at BBC →
Mar 24, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet reportKEY MOMENT
Stephen McCullagh: The mammoth task of tackling violence against women and girls in NI

Natalie McNally is one of 30 women who have been violently and brutally killed in Northern Ireland since 2020. The conviction of her murderer, the father of her unborn son, threw an underlying issue back into the…

Read original at BBC →
Mar 23, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet reportKEY MOMENT
Court orders retrial of mother accused of murdering baby son

A woman, whose convictions for murdering her baby son and attempting to murder his toddler sister were quashed, is to face a retrial, the Court of Appeal has ordered. Senior judges backed prosecution submissions that…

Read original at BBC →
Mar 16, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet reportKEY MOMENT
Natalie McNally: Officer details messages between McNally and murder accused

A police officer has said he believes there was a lack of "any real affection" in nearly 500 pages of WhatsApp messages between Natalie McNally and the man accused of murdering her. However, a defence barrister for…

Read original at BBC →
Mar 6, 2026·The GuardianT2 · Outlet reportOPENING
Man accused of Natalie McNally’s murder beat previous partner, court told

Stephen McCullagh also covertly recorded ex-girlfriend’s counselling sessions after loss of a baby, jury hears A man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in Northern Ireland beat a previous partner, a court…

Read original at The Guardian →

Sources & evidence (5)

What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.

T2 · Outlet report× 5
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T2 · Outlet reportBBCMar 24, 2026

It's Sunday 18 December 2022 and Lionel Messi is lifting the World Cup trophy on TV while a delighted Natalie McNally watches on. The 32-year-old is a huge fan of the Argentinian footballer. She's in her parents' living room, they've just…

View source →
T2 · Outlet reportBBCMar 24, 2026

Natalie McNally is one of 30 women who have been violently and brutally killed in Northern Ireland since 2020. The conviction of her murderer, the father of her unborn son, threw an underlying issue back into the spotlight. After he was…

View source →
T2 · Outlet reportBBCMar 23, 2026

A woman, whose convictions for murdering her baby son and attempting to murder his toddler sister were quashed, is to face a retrial, the Court of Appeal has ordered. Senior judges backed prosecution submissions that there should be fresh…

View source →
T2 · Outlet reportBBCMar 16, 2026

A police officer has said he believes there was a lack of "any real affection" in nearly 500 pages of WhatsApp messages between Natalie McNally and the man accused of murdering her. However, a defence barrister for Stephen MCullagh argued…

View source →
T2 · Outlet reportThe GuardianMar 6, 2026

Stephen McCullagh also covertly recorded ex-girlfriend’s counselling sessions after loss of a baby, jury hears A man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in Northern Ireland beat a previous partner, a court has heard. Stephen…

View source →

Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary

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