Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
At Belfast Crown Court, a close friend of Stephen McCullagh recounted the distressing moment he contacted her to reveal that Natalie McNally had been killed. McCullagh, aged 36 and residing in Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, County Antrim, denies the allegation of murdering Natalie, who died in her Silverwood Green residence, Lurgan, on 18 December. At the time of her death, Natalie was 15 weeks pregnant.
Anne McCullough described McCullagh’s initial call as filled with anguish, stating he was “really upset” and “screaming – she’s gone, she’s gone, Natalie’s gone.” She recalled thinking McCullagh might have been abandoned by Natalie. When a female police officer took over the call, she was informed that the 32-year-old victim had died. McCullagh’s grief was audible; Anne said, “He was so loud. He was howling, crying and screaming.” She added that she tried to calm him down during that moment of intense emotion.
Having known McCullagh since they were 18 and college classmates studying film-making, Anne spoke about their close friendship. She described their relationship as “really good friends” and labeled him “overjoyed and so excited” about the impending arrival of a baby. Anne noted McCullagh’s efforts to prepare for fatherhood, mentioning he was “learning to cook, reading up on parenting, reading up about diabetes,” and overall “prepping to become dad.” When questioned about their relationship by prosecution barrister Charles MacCreanor KC, she described it as “very lovely, very positive” and the “happiest I’d ever seen him.” Anne also spoke positively about Natalie, saying she “was fantastic” and that she “challenged” Stephen.
On the night of Natalie’s death, Anne drove to her home to support McCullagh. During her journey, she received another call from him, describing him as “much calmer” but “zoned out,” suggesting he had dissociated. McCullagh reportedly told her that “when I got there I couldn’t hug him or touch him” and mentioned “his clothes were evidence,” referring to “blood on my clothes.” Anne expressed shock, realizing that her friend and her unborn baby had died. She also shared that she considered Natalie a friend and had purchased a Christmas gift for her. After McCullagh’s arrest on 19 December, Anne admitted her concerns for his mental health. She later visited him at his Lisburn home once he was released.
During one visit, McCullagh detailed how he found Natalie. He explained that he saw her feet first, found her lying face down in a dog bowl, and described the house as disordered, indicating a possible argument had taken place. Anne recalled that “something” had happened to the Christmas tree and that “there was blood in places.” She recounted how he had turned Natalie over and noticed “stuff was coming out of her mouth” and that “she was cold.” Overwhelmed by this information, Anne acknowledged it was difficult to process and admitted, “I thought I was being a good friend. I didn’t want to hear this. I have had nightmares since.” She also remarked that she felt obligated to listen, saying, “I didn’t think he had anybody else to talk to. I took it on the chin and then had nightmares about it.”
Following McCullagh’s second arrest in January 2023, Anne saw a news alert reporting a man’s re-arrest and initially felt hopeful that the person responsible for killing Natalie had been found. However, upon attempting to contact McCullagh and receiving no reply, she realized that he was the one who had been re-arrested. Despite these developments, Anne stated she never doubted his alibi, emphasizing, “I never considered for a second there was a reason why. He had his alibi to show he couldn’t have done it.”
Anne further told the court about a live stream McCullagh had mentioned on 18 December. He told her the previous day that the live stream was “something that had not yet happened.” However, McCullagh later admitted to the police that the recording had actually been made days earlier. Anne expressed confusion over why he had not disclosed this to her, stating, “I can’t understand why he wouldn’t have told me it was pre-recorded. I’ve no idea why he would lie to me.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.