Stephen McCullagh is a killer from Ireland who was convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife Natalie McNally
According to court documents Natalie McNally was murdered inside of her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland. The fifteen week pregnant woman was beaten and stabbed to death
Her husband, Stephen McCullagh, was seen livestreaming on YouTube drinking alcohol and playing video games under the gamer tag votesaxon07. McCullagh would later admit to police that he had prerecorded the live stream.
Police would later learn that Stephen McCullagh had travelled to Lurgan, murdered Natalie McNally then drove back to Lisburn
Apparently Stephen McCullagh had found exchanges between Natalie McNally and other men which set him off
Stephen McCullagh would be arrested and convicted of murder. McCullagh would be sentenced to life in prison and is now facing another hearing to determine how much he must serve before becoming eligible for parole
Stephen McCullagh Case
A YouTuber who set up a false alibi by livestreaming a video-gaming session online has been found guilty of murdering his pregnant partner.
Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when Stephen McCullagh violently attacked and killed her at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022.
McCullagh, 36, of Lisburn, was convicted by a jury during the fifth week of the trial at Belfast crown court. A jury of six men and six women reached their verdict after two hours of deliberations.
McCullagh stood without expression in the dock as the verdict was read out. McNally’s family and friends filled the public gallery behind the dock and cheered after the verdict was announced.
McNally died between 8.50pm and 9.30pm on 18 December. At that time, McCullagh, known online as votesaxon07, appeared to be drinking alcohol and livestreaming himself playing video games to other online gamers.
The trial was shown sections of the six-hour livestream, which he had advertised on his social media as a “surprise” and called The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream.
The footage opened with McCullagh wearing a Santa hat, welcoming viewers and talking about the challenges of broadcasting live, saying he did not know how long it would last. He said because of technical issues he would not be able to respond to the live chat, telling viewers to “chat amongst themselves”, and also said he would not use his phone.
McCullagh’s supposed alibi was debunked by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s cybercrime unit. The trial heard an examination of his devices provided extensive evidence indicating it had been pre-recorded on 14 December and saved as a video file.
After he was rearrested in January, McCullagh went on to admit to police in a pre-prepared statement that he had pre-recorded the footage. In the statement, he said he had been consuming alcohol on the night McNally was killed and had been asleep for most of the evening.
But the prosecution said McCullagh had in fact travelled to Lurgan, killed McNally and then travelled home in a taxi to his house in Lisburn.
McNally died after a violent attack, suffering stab wounds and blows to her head.
The prosecution in the trial said McCullagh had accessed McNally’s phone and viewed messages she had exchanged with other men.
The couple had met in August 2022 and she was pregnant with his baby by November.
The trial judge Mr Justice Kinney told McCullagh that the offence of murder came with a mandatory life sentence. A tariff hearing to determine the minimum amount of time McCullagh must spend in jail before he can be considered for release will be held in May.
Outside court, McNally’s family thanked friends, family and the wider public for their support, saying without it “we would not have got through this most difficult time in our lives”.
McNally’s brother Niall McNally said: “As Natalie receives justice today, our hearts go out to all the victims of violence against women and girls. Our hope is that all the victims and families get their day in court, and the justice they deserve.”
Another one of her brothers, Declan, said she was “an inspirational person”. “Having you in our lives was the greatest joy we’ll ever have,” he said. “You would have been an amazing mother to baby Dean. We will love you forever and we hope you can now rest easy.”
He also paid tribute to their “amazing” parents, saying they had “the biggest strength you could ever think of” and “they’ve held us all together”.
Man who used false gaming alibi found guilty of Natalie McNally’s murder | Crime | The Guardian
