Appeal Lodged Against Sentence
Stephen McCullagh has formally lodged an appeal against the 31-year sentence he received for the murder of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally.
Details of the Case
McCullagh, aged 36 and residing in Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, County Antrim, denied the charge of murdering Natalie McNally. Natalie was 15 weeks pregnant when she died at her home in Silverwood Green, Lurgan, on 18 December 2022.
The trial, which lasted over four weeks, concluded in March with McCullagh being found guilty of the murder.
Sentence and Legal Proceedings
The 31-year sentence represents the minimum period McCullagh must serve in custody before he becomes eligible for parole consideration by the parole commissioners.
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has confirmed it has been notified of the appeal against the sentence.
Judicial Remarks
In delivering the sentence, Mr Justice Kinney characterized the crime as:
"a brutal and senseless murder planned in remorseless detail, cold-blooded and calculated".
