Police told Natalie McNally murder accused he was 'the person of interest'

A police officer told the man accused of murdering Natalie McNally that "everything" pointed to him being the "person of interest".

Stephen McCullagh, 36, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim, denies murdering his pregnant partner Natalie in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on 18 December 2022.

The jury was shown a police recording of an interview with McCullagh and the PSNI's Major Investigation Team on 1 February, 2023.

McCullagh was shown CCTV footage of a "person of interest" getting into a taxi in Lurgan and travelling to Lisburn. He was told by the leading officer "everything points to that you are the male in the CCTV and that that male is the person who murdered Natalie".

In the interview, he was asked by a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer: "Is that you?"

He answered: "No comment."

The officer said: "The taxi pulls up on your street. Is that you?"

"If that isn't you, who is it?"

The officer said the male went to "extensive lengths to plan for this murder, it appears to be pre-meditated".

The court heard that McCullagh's phone was "active" three minutes after the "person of interest" got out of the taxi outside McCullagh's home and walked up his driveway.

McCullagh was told that the person who killed Natalie McNally was in her home for 39 minutes.

"In that time Natalie received injuries that included compression of her neck, stab wounds to her neck and blunt force trauma to her head."

McCullagh was questioned about a gaming stream on YouTube he initially said was live.

The PSNI officer said: "From four o'clock on the 18th of December, you were telling the world you were going to be live streaming from 6pm to midnight".

The officer said: "Your device has been examined and there is nothing to suggest you were on that device between six and midnight."

McCullagh replied: "That is literally impossible, because you can see it on YouTube."

A police officer told McCullagh: "You were saying you were live, that's not the case mate."

The court heard that later in a pre-prepared statement from his solicitor, McCullagh admitted the stream was pre-recorded.

He said he "recorded the stream and put it out on the 18th".

"I drank a large bottle of Buckfast," he added.

"My computer streamed the recording and I slept.

"I woke up to put the bins out."

In the statement, McCullagh said "the suspect took a taxi to my house, it is obvious the killer of Natalie tried to link me to Natalie's murder".

He said he was "shocked" to learn that Natalie was texting other men.

He said: "We were expecting our first child.

"I carried a picture of the scan and Natalie in my wallet".

During cross-examination of Det Ch Insp McGuinness, the officer leading the murder investigation, was asked by John Kearney KC: "There was no telephone messages in which Natalie was complaining about the defendant?"

He replied: "I don't recall any."

Kearney replied: "Nothing in comparison between Natalie and her ex-boyfriend."

McGuinness also acknowledged that he would have been interested in assessing material from Natalie's ex-boyfriend's phone, however it had been wiped by him shortly after her death.

Earlier on Friday, the court heard Natalie McNally messaged a man a week before her death saying she was considering breaking up with McCullagh.

On Friday, the court heard transcripts of messages Natalie exchanged with three other men over a six month period between June and December 2022.

The messages discussed Natalie's pregnancy, meet ups and some were sexual in nature.

In an exchange on 11 December 2022, one of the men, identified as Male C asked Natalie if she was going to break up with McCullagh.

She replied: "I wouldn't do it before Christmas, that would be mean. I will see how I feel in the New Year. I'll make no rash decisions."

Another man, identified as Male P, messaged Natalie, asking: "Are you and Stephen together?"

She replied: "We are still figuring it out for now. He's coming to the baby appointments. He's being very good about it.

"There is no point in acting like happy families if it's not what I want. I like my independence so right now I'm doing my own thing. I am not rushing into this family set up if it's not what I want."

In the messages, Natalie confirmed her due date was 8 June 2023.

A man identified as Male B spoke of her pregnancy, saying: "Just think next Christmas you'll be a mum. How cool."

Natalie replied: "I know, so exciting. My family are over the moon."

She told the man she "loved being pregnant" and that it "all felt so natural".

The court also heard McCullagh made a 39 minute audio recording in Natalie's parents' home just weeks after her death.

It was made two days before a rally in her honour at Lurgan Park on 26 January 2023.

Natalie's sister in law, Holly McNally, told the court she remembered McCullagh being in the McNally family home, only to return 20 minutes later to say that he had forgotten his telephone.

The court heard that the recording was of the McNally family's conversations that evening.

The court were also told on 18 December, the day of Natalie's death, searches were made on McCullagh's computer for bus and train timetables between Lurgan and Dunmurry, Lisburn and Moria.

The trial continues.