Ex-Boyfriend Repeats Accusation in Court
A former boyfriend of Natalie McNally has reiterated his accusation that Stephen McCullagh was responsible for the death of the 32-year-old woman.
The witness, whose name is withheld due to a reporting restriction, is currently testifying at the trial of Stephen McCullagh.
McCullagh, aged 36, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim, denies the charge of murdering his pregnant partner Natalie McNally. Natalie was found dead at her home in Silverwood Green, Lurgan, on 18 December 2022.
During questioning by McCullagh's defence barrister, the witness was asked directly,
"Was it you that killed Natalie?"to which he responded,
"No."
He was further questioned if he had been at Natalie's home on the night of her death or if he had recruited anyone else to assist him, and he answered,
"No."
When asked if he understood that the defendant's defence was that the witness himself was responsible for Natalie's death, he firmly replied,
"He done it."
At that point, the witness turned towards the defendant in court and shouted,
"You done it."He maintained eye contact with McCullagh as questioning continued and made another outburst, shouting,
"You killed her."
These accusations were consistent with his testimony given earlier on Monday.
Injuries and Emotional Testimony
Earlier in the hearing, the witness was questioned about injuries to his hands, which had been photographed when he was arrested and interviewed by police in the days following Natalie's death.
He explained that the injuries were caused by repeatedly punching walls in his home, stating,
"I've been punching walls, I've done it a lot, I've done it a few times. It's the stupidest thing. All you do is wreck your hands."
He assured the court that these injuries were not sustained on the night Natalie was killed.
During questioning by the prosecution barrister, the witness became emotional when discussing Natalie's pregnancy. He described her as being
"over the moon. Really, really, really happy."
He added,
"Natalie would have loved to have a kid with me,"before addressing Stephen McCullagh again with the words,
"I don't know why you killed her."
