A former boyfriend of murdered Lurgan woman Natalie McNally broke down in tears today (Wednesday) as he described her as “the nicest girl” who was “over the moon” about her pregnancy.
After being asked again by defence barrister John Kearney KC if he killed Ms McNally or “recruited” anyone to help him kill her, he replied “no.”
Ms McNally was aged 32 and 15 weeks pregnant when she was beaten, stabbed and strangled in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on the evening of Sunday, December 18, 2022.
The father of her unborn child, 36-year old Stephen McCullagh from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has been accused of and has denied her murder.
Her former boyfriend, who can’t be named due to a reporting restriction, spent a third day in the witness box at Belfast Crown Court where he once again directly addressed McCullagh and shouted “you killed her”.
During a sometimes tense cross-examination, Mr Kearney told the witness it was McCullagh’s case that he had killed Ms McNally.
After being asked “was it you that killed” Mc McNally, the witness replied “no.”
He also rejected being in Ms McNally’s house on the evening of Sunday, December 18, 2022.
The jury of six men and six women have already heard that on the evening of the murder, the witness consumed alcohol, fell asleep on his sofa then went to bed.
Mr Kearney then asked the witness if he understood it was McCullagh’s case that he “didn’t do it”.
At this point, the witness shouted “he done it” then glaring at McCullagh as he sat in the dock, he shouted “you done it … you killed her.”
Before he left the witness box, the former boyfriend was asked a final series of questions by Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor KC.
Asked how he felt when he heard Mc McNally was pregnant, the witness said he was “happy for her” and that she “really wanted to be a mum.”
He described Ms McNally’s relationship with his daughter as “beautiful” and, breaking down in tears, he said “she was the nicest girl”.
He then addressed McCullagh again and shouted “I don’t know why you killed her.”
