Natalie McNally murder accused 'lied, lied and lied again', trial hears

The prosecution in the Natalie McNally murder trial has told the jury that Stephen McCullagh "lied, lied and lied again" in the weeks after her death.

In final submissions, Charles MacCreanor KC said there was a "compelling case" that McCullagh is guilty of Natalie's murder.

Stephen McCullagh, 36, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim, denies murdering his pregnant partner Natalie in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on 18 December 2022.

The defence confirmed on Monday that McCullagh would not take the stand to give evidence.

On Tuesday, MacCreanor asked the jury: "What is his true reason not to give evidence? One reason could be that there is no answer he could ever give that could stand up to scrutiny."

MacCreanor said: "If you were innocent and you thought you could explain, would you not give evidence?"

Belfast Crown Court heard that "if there is an innocent explanation, you'd have heard it".

The jury was again played the gaming stream that was pre-recorded days before Natalie's death.

MacCreanor told the jury "this was a complete fabrication" and that McCullagh "repeatedly lied to different people" about being live.

McCullagh admitted to police in February 2023 that it wasn't live.

MacCreanor said "that period between 6pm and midnight is the period that Natalie McNally was killed".

"Is that an innocent coincidence?"

He told the jury that was a matter for them to decide.

The court was told that it took McCullagh "eight police interviews and 44 days since Natalie was murdered" for him to admit the stream was pre-recorded.

MacCreanor KC said: "He has lied and lied again. Lied to Natalie McNally. Lied to his friends. Lied to Natalie McNally's family. Lied to police at the scene. Lied to police at different time and different dates."

The court heard that McCullagh was "warmly embraced" by Natalie McNally's family during her wake.

The prosecution said "they leave him alone with their daughter" so that he can say his goodbyes.

He told the court that McCullagh "continued to lie to Natalie's family saying he was live streaming. Think about that. Why?".

MacCreanor told the court that McCullagh showed Natalie's family members videos of the steam at her wake. He said McCullagh was using the video like "a prop" and was "doing that at a wake".

"There were lies wherever you looked."

He told the court for McCullagh this was "just a play act", that he was "putting on a show".

The jury was also reminded that internet searches for bus and train timetables between Lisburn, Dunmurry and Lurgan were found on McCullagh's computer on the day of Natalie's death.

MacCreanor told the court that he was searching a bus that "just so happened to be the same bus the person of interest gets on".

MacCreanor highlighted the evidence of a former partner of McCullagh who said he had assaulted her after seeing messages to another man on her phone in December 2019.

The prosecutor said that McCullagh said he struggled at Christmas due to deaths in his family.

He added: "Fast forward to December 2022. The prosecution don't have to prove motive but this was Christmas, it was a partner and there were messages."

He highlighted that McCullagh had the PIN for Natalie's phone which contained messages with other men. Some of those messages were sexual in nature whilst others discussed potentially breaking up with McCullagh in the new year.

The prosecutor then spoke about CCTV footage of the person of interest travelling to and from Natalie's home – ending in a taxi ride to McCullagh's front door.

Referencing a photograph of McCullagh in a hat and wig found on Instagram he said the person of interest in CCTV had "adopted a look that he'd just happened to use".

The jury was also reminded that McCullagh's friend Anne had told the court that despite suggestions he only had two jackets he also owned a distinctive weatherproof coat that he'd bought in a thrift shop.

She provided the court with a photograph of him in this coat.

The prosecutor said: "There is a sequence to this that knits and ties together. It's him, I have no doubt."

McCullagh denies the charge against him.