McCullagh told police Natalie McNally’s ex-partner had murdered her

The man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend told police at the scene that her ex-partner was responsible, his trial has heard.

Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has denied murdering Natalie McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant with their child.

She was killed at her home on Silverwood Green in Lurgan, Co Armagh, a week before Christmas in December 2022.

Her time of death has been estimated to be between 8.50pm and 9.30pm on Sunday December 18 2022.

The emergency services were alerted on the following evening on Monday December 19.

McCullagh sat in the dock at Belfast Crown Court between two prison guards on Tuesday morning as the second day of his trial got under way.

Family and friends of Miss McNally were watching on from the public gallery.

A jury of six men and six women has been sworn in to serve during the trial, which is expected to last for around five weeks, before Judge Mr Justice Patrick Kinney.

On Monday, prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor KC set out their case that Miss McNally’s murder was “planned, calculated and premeditated, one which he (McCullagh) hoped to get away with”.

On Tuesday morning, the trial heard from two police witnesses.

Sergeant Stewart attended the scene at Miss McNally’s house on the night of Monday December 19 and described seeing McCullagh “very upset”, and seeing him being led out of the house by a colleague.

He said Miss McNally was lying on her back at the top of the stairs in the townhouse, beside the living room in the property, with blood visible around her and a puncture wound on her neck.

He also saw a small black-handled knife lying on the floor of the living room and blood on the wall.

The uniformed sergeant said he briefed the on-call duty detective sergeant that night for Lurgan CID by telephone.

He said McCullagh was arrested at around 2340 and taken into custody at Banbridge police station.

The on-call detective sergeant also gave evidence to the trial on Tuesday.

He said he briefed a senior officer who instructed him that the incident should be treated as murder.

He agreed that Sergeant Stewart told him McCullagh had told police at the scene: “I know what has happened, the ex-partner has done this”, and that he had directed McCullagh to be arrested for murder.

The jury was also shown police photographs of the scene following Miss McNally’s murder.

The trial continues and will hear the defence case set out by barrister John Kearney KC later this week.