A meticulously planned alibi, designed to place Stephen McCullagh almost 20 miles away at his Lisburn home, is at the heart of the murder trial concerning the death of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally.
Ms McNally, 32, was brutally attacked and killed at her Lurgan residence in Silverwood Green between 8.50 pm and 9.30 pm on Sunday, December 18, 2022, just a week before Christmas.
Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was violently killed.
At the precise time of the murder, McCullagh, known online as 'votesaxon07', appeared to be drinking alcohol and livestreaming himself playing computer games to an online audience. Sections of this six-hour livestream were presented during his trial at Belfast Crown Court.
The stream, advertised on his social media as "The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream" and set to begin at 6 pm on December 18, opened with McCullagh in a Santa hat, greeting viewers. He discussed broadcasting challenges, stating he was unsure how long it would last. He also informed viewers that technical issues would prevent him from responding to live chat, advising them to "chat amongst themselves," and added he would not be using his phone.
He introduced the game Grand Theft Auto as one of his childhood favourites, and as he poured himself a Guinness, joked he would be drinking and driving, but added: “In the game by the way, I’m not leaving the house tonight.”
He mused about time off work over Christmas and said he was looking forward to spending time with loved ones, adding: “It’ll be a really f****** good Christmas this year.”
The stream went on with McCullagh saying he had not had a drink in months, before drinking a large portion, adding: “I could drink that stuff like it’s water.”
He later started drinking Baileys.
As the stream went on, McCullagh said: “I’m a very angry gamer by the way.”
And later, he appeared to be becoming drunk, screaming “die, why won’t you die” at one of the characters in a violent part of the game, and referred to himself as “pissed out of his tits”.
He also said he “realised I’m a very angry drunk”, but added: “In real life, I’m an absolute sweetheart.
“I don’t have too many loved ones in my life, but the ones I love, I love with all my heart.”
It was an alibi in the virtual world of gaming that he must have hoped would be beyond the comprehension of most, however, it was debunked by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s cyber crime unit.
The trial heard that an examination of McCullagh’s devices provided extensive evidence indicating it had been pre-recorded on December 14 and saved as a video file.
After he was re-arrested in January, McCullagh went on to admit to police in a pre-prepared statement that he had pre-recorded the footage.
In the statement, he said he had been consuming alcohol on the night Ms McNally was killed and had been asleep for most of the evening.
McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, was convicted by a jury during the fifth week of the trial at Belfast Crown Court.
The jury of six men and six women reached their verdict after two hours of deliberations.
McCullagh stood without expression in the dock between prison staff as the verdict was read out.
Ms McNally’s family and friends filled the public gallery behind the dock and cheered after the verdict was announced.
A timeline of key events:
– August 7 2022: Stephen McCullagh sends his first WhatsApp message to Natalie McNally after they made contact on the online dating app Bumble. His first message read: “Hey Nat, it’s that robot weirdo from Bumble” and they discussed meeting for their first date that week.
Over the next 133 days the two were to exchange hundreds of messages.
– October: McCullagh meets Ms McNally’s family for the first time.
– November: The McNally family are told that the couple are expecting a baby.
– December 14/15: McCullagh pre-records The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream. The six hour and four minute gaming session shows McCullagh playing Grand Theft Auto while drinking alcohol, swearing and at one point repeatedly shouting at a character in the game to die. During the session McCullagh makes repeated mention that it is being broadcast live on the Sunday (December 18).
– December 16/17: McCullagh tells friends he will broadcast a gaming session live on Sunday evening.
– December 18: Ms McNally is in McCullagh’s home in Woodland Gardens in Lisburn while he is searching timetables for a bus from Dunmurry to Lurgan and a later train from Lurgan back to Lisburn. Ms McNally later leaves McCullagh’s house to go to her parents’ home to watch the World Cup final between Argentina and France before returning to her own house at Silverwood Green in Lurgan.
4pm: McCullagh posts an advert on Youtube about his “live” gaming session.
5.57pm: McCullagh messages Ms McNally saying that he is “off to stream the night away”. She replies: “Good luck, I might have a peek at your livestream later.”
6pm: The pre-recorded livestream begins. McCullagh’s telephone becomes inactive.
6.36pm: A man is captured on CCTV walking with a bag close to McCullagh’s house. The prosecution in the trial said the man was McCullagh.
7.36pm: Bus CCTV shows the man with his face covered travelling from Dunmurry to Lurgan. After getting off the bus in Lurgan, he is tracked on a number of cameras travelling down Market Street towards William Street, Lough Road and into Silverwood Green, where Ms McNally lives.
8.24pm: Ms McNally logs in to YouTube to watch part of McCullagh’s livestream gaming session.
8.51pm: McCullagh enters Ms McNally’s house.
9.31pm: McCullagh leaves Ms McNally’s house.
9.49pm: A man is seen on CCTV getting into a taxi near Fa Joe’s bar in Lurgan.
11.12pm: The taxi arrives at McCullagh’s house at Woodlands in Lisburn. He is seen on CCTV throwing two items over a hedge.
11.16pm: McCullagh’s phone is unlocked and becomes active.
– December 19:
12.05am: The recording of the gaming broadcast is manually stopped.
12:08am: McCullagh messages Ms McNally.
5.05pm: McCullagh messages Ms McNally “Are you ok?”.
5.25pm: He messages “Getting a little worried, let me know you are safe”.
6.55pm: McCullagh orders a KFC.
9.07pm: He messages Ms McNally stating he is “very concerned now”.
9.59pm: McCullagh arrives at Ms McNally’s house in Lurgan and makes a 10-minute 999 call. He tells emergency services “Please come as soon as you can, she’s pregnant, she’s cold”. He is asked by the call handler: “Is the patient breathing?” and responds tearfully “No, she’s gone”, adding “there’s blood everywhere”. He tells the call handler Ms McNally was 15 weeks’ pregnant.
The trial heard that the victim had suffered a “horrendous beating”. Charles MacCreanor KC said: “Three stabs to the neck, multiple traumatic blows to her head. Injuries consistent with throttling and choking of her neck. I’m sorry to say it, left with her face in a dog bowl, like an animal”.
McCullagh is questioned by police about the death. In his initial interview he tells police he was doing a livestream at the time of her death and that he believes Ms McNally’s ex-boyfriend is the “only one that would harm her”.
He is asked by police “Had you anything whatsoever to do with the death of Natalie?” to which replied: “No comment”. His solicitor tells him: “Sorry, I think you could answer that.” McCullagh tells police “No, no, no comment.”
– December 20:
7.34am: McCullagh is released by police.
– December 24: The McNally family are told McCullagh is no longer a suspect for the murder.
– December 25: McCullagh attends a wake for Ms McNally at her parents’ home on Christmas Day.
– January 26 2023: McCullagh visits the McNally family home again. When he departs the house, he leaves his phone behind and makes a 39-minute recording of the family speaking. He returns later to retrieve the phone.
– January 28: More than 1,000 people attend a rally in Lurgan in memory of Ms McNally. McCullagh attends the event. A video montage of images of Ms McNally is played and the crowd are told it was put together by McCullagh, “Natalie’s loving partner”.
– January 31: McCullagh is arrested again by police.
– February 1: During police interview McCullagh replies “no comment” to a series of questions about Ms McNally’s murder. He is confronted for the first time with evidence that his gaming session had been pre-recorded. A detective tells him that his devices had been examined and there was no user generated activity during the hours when he claimed to be broadcasting live. He answers: “That is literally impossible because you can see it on YouTube.”
Following the interview McCullagh provides a statement to police in which he says the gaming session had been pre-recorded in advance.
He added: “I think it is obvious the true killer of Natalie has left a clear circumstantial trail to link me to the murder.”
– February 2: Stephen McCullagh is charged with the murder of Natalie McNally.
– February 23 2026: McCullagh goes on trial for the murder of Natalie McNally at Belfast Crown Court.
– March 23: McCullagh is found guilty by the jury.
