YouTube removes account after gamer found guilty of Natalie McNally’s murder

The video platform giant YouTube has removed Stephen McCullagh’s account following his conviction for the murder of his pregnant partner Natalie McNally.

A jury found the 36-year-old, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, guilty at Belfast Crown Court on Monday of the murder of the 32-year-old, who was 15-weeks pregnant with their son.

McCullagh was told he will face a life sentence. He will hear what the minimum term of his sentence will be at a hearing in May.

The Co Antrim man, who made money posting videos on YouTube, had concocted an alibi that he had been live-streaming himself playing computer games on his channel, votesaxon07, when Ms McNally was murdered on December 18 2022.

But police experts discovered the six-hour “live stream” had actually been filmed four days before, and broadcast as live on December 18.

That live stream, as well as McCullagh’s YouTube channel, had remained online until Monday, although it had been demonetised, meaning that McCullagh would not earn revenue from views of that video.

YouTube confirmed on Tuesday that it had removed McCullagh’s channel.

“We terminated the channels owned by this individual for violating our creator responsibility policies,” a YouTube spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Ms McNally was remembered during Members’ Statements at the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday morning.

Alliance Upper Bann MLA Eoin Tennyson said it had been a privilege to get to know her parents Noel and Bernie over the last three-and-a-half years.

He paid tribute to their family as having “carried themselves with immeasurable strength, dignity, courage and grace in the face of the most unimaginable horror and loss”.

“We have all been moved by the stories that have been shared about the happy memories they shared with Natalie, her sense of humour, her belief in equality, her love of sport, and it was very clear that she had a positive impact on so many people during her short, brilliant life,” he told MLAs.

“Whilst justice was served yesterday, it will not bring Natalie back, though I hope it will furnish the family with some comfort and some closure, and I also hope the family feel the support right across our community for them.”

He urged reflection on violence against women and girls, and a commitment in memory of all women murdered to “build a society that is kinder, that is more compassionate, that is inclusive – where men treat women with the dignity and respect that they deserve”.