Family Welcomed Stephen McCullagh at Natalie McNally’s Wake
The family of Natalie McNally told a court that they had "welcomed" Stephen McCullagh into their home for their daughter's wake on Christmas Day 2022, expressing that they were "devastated for him." McCullagh, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim, has denied murdering Natalie, who was killed in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on 18 December.
On the sixth and seventh day of evidence, the court heard from her parents and brothers, who detailed their interactions with McCullagh before and after Natalie’s death. The 36-year-old denies the murder charge. Natalie was 15 weeks pregnant with a baby boy when she died at her home.
Her mother, Bernadette, told Belfast Crown Court that McCullagh had shown her an engagement ring after Natalie’s death. A temporary reporting restriction was placed on Tuesday’s hearing until the completion of Wednesday’s block of family evidence.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the court heard that Natalie and McCullagh met on the dating app Bumble and had their first date in August 2022. In late October, he met her family for the first time, and in early November, the couple informed her family that she was expecting a baby. On 18 December the same year, she was killed.
The trial previously heard that on 24 December 2022, McCullagh had been released from police bail and was no longer a suspect in the case. The family had also been informed of this.
Natalie’s Wake
A day later, McCullagh attended Natalie’s wake. The court heard he had arrived at the home in Craigavon with his cousin. She went to the door and asked if he could come in.
Natalie’s mother Bernadette told the court that he was wearing a suit.
"He said he'd worn it to her birthday meal, she said she liked it and that's why he said he wore it."
Bernadette also told the court that in subsequent meetings, McCullagh had shown her an engagement ring, spoken about renovating his home, and mentioned that there was an integrated school near his Lisburn home.
"We were devastated and worried for him," she said.
When asked by prosecution barrister Charles MacCreanor KC how she was, Bernadette broke down in tears and said:
"I'm not very good. It's been devastating."
Also giving evidence was Natalie’s father Noel. He told the court that at her wake, McCullagh was upset.
"As far as I remember the defendant was upset and a lot of people were giving him hugs and consoling him."
Noel said at the wake, McCullagh was alone in a room with Natalie for 15 to 20 minutes.
"As far as we were concerned he was a grieving partner, that he had nothing to do with her death. He said he wouldn't go to the funeral and we respected his wishes."
Noel commented on how quickly the relationship had developed.
"He was happy for his daughter because she was so happy and content."
However, he said:
"He would always say 'my Natalie', this always annoyed me as he'd only known her three to four months, she was 'my Natalie'."
Noel told the court that police had asked the family to ask McCullagh about the crime scene as he was not cooperating with them.
He said McCullagh had told the family that at the scene an officer had laughed in his face, that he had been left alone in a cell for hours, and that he was stripped naked and had had his genitals swabbed.
This, he said, resulted in his solicitor telling him not to speak to them.
He also said that McCullagh had told him police had removed a pair of rubber gloves from his car that he used to clean his mother's grave.
Telephone Numbers Exchanged
Natalie’s brothers Declan and Brendan also gave evidence on Tuesday.
Recalling the wake, Brendan said:
"Stephen was very distressed and emotional. He was crying and speaking about Natalie. He kept repeating that he'd let Natalie down."
Brendan also recalled McCullagh telling him that he had been constantly checking the media and that his "heart sank when the prominence of the story died down."
"He said this should be a massive story, an international story."
Declan said that at Natalie’s wake, telephone numbers were exchanged between the family and McCullagh.
"We were in contact almost daily and he was at my mother and father's house a number of times," he said.
"He said he wanted to visit Natalie's grave and I offered to go with him. We walked into the graveyard. I gave him some time alone at the grave and after five or ten minutes I went over to him. He was appearing completely distraught asking how could anyone do this? I think we were there quite a while, maybe an hour and a half."
Declan also told the court that McCullagh had helped digitise old family videos from cassette that were then used at a rally in her memory.
He said that McCullagh had also mentioned that on a trip to Donegal, Natalie had given him the pin code for her phone to access apps.
Declan also told the court that McCullagh told him that he believed Natalie’s ex-partner was responsible for her death.
"He said that he believed Natalie's ex-boyfriend had gone around to her house, that she told him she was pregnant and that he had then got into a rage and killed her."
Unaware That Ex-Boyfriend Had Been Abusive
During cross-examination, defence barrister John Kearney KC asked Noel, Bernadette, and Declan McNally about Natalie’s relationship with her ex-partner.
He established that Natalie’s dog River was a puppy of her ex-boyfriend’s dog and that the former couple had, for a time, lived together in her Silverwood Green home.
Both Declan and Noel said they had been unaware of any suggestions that her ex-boyfriend had been abusive.
But McCullagh said that Natalie had received abusive emails and calls from her former partner right until the week of her death.
Noel said that he was aware that her former partner had, at some point, returned to Natalie’s home to collect possessions.
"He'd stuff in her garage including a skateboard and a workbench and he'd come looking them back."
Noel also confirmed that at some point he believes his daughter had her locks changed.
Kearney asked him if Natalie’s former partner had moved to Dunmurry and he replied that he did not know.
Bernadette said that McCullagh had told her,
"about an ex boyfriend who was harassing Natalie".
She said he told her about abusive emails in the summer months and that he had phoned her but she did not speak to him.
'That's Not What He Told Me'
The evidence also explored the events of 19 December when McCullagh drove from Lisburn to Natalie’s home.
Noel told the court that McCullagh had told him that when he arrived at her home he had texted her, asking her to show she was OK as he was worried she had taken ill with her diabetes and was angry with him for drinking despite a promise not to do so.
Noel said McCullagh had told him when he opened the unlocked door he saw Natalie’s dog River at the top of the stairs, and moments later he saw Natalie’s body.
However, Kearney challenged this.
He said that McCullagh said he did not text Natalie from outside her home and that when he opened her door the dog had rushed out and had to be called back in.
Noel said:
"That's not what he told me."
Live Stream
On Wednesday morning, Natalie’s aunt Kathleen McStravock took the stand.
When asked about what McCullagh said to her at the wake, she said he had said River had run out and he had to get him back in again.
At some stage, he moved River out of the road and saw Natalie lying there.
When asked about this by the defence, McStravock said:
"I only remember him saying the dog was there so Natalie must be there."
Next in the stand was Natalie’s cousin Gavin Haddock.
He said that on 7 January he went to the McNally family home.
He said he had gone outside to smoke with McCullagh.
Haddock said that McCullagh was looking at a YouTube video on his phone.
The trial had previously been shown a purported YouTube live stream conducted by the accused, which prosecutors say was pre-recorded.
Haddock said McCullagh told him it was the live stream and he said:
"Look at me playing these stupid little video games."
Haddock then said:
"He fast forwarded to a few hours and said this is the time she would have been murdered, I should have protected her. No man would've got past me."
