A close friend of a man accused of murdering his pregnant partner described today (Thursday) how he “kept howling and crying and screaming” during a phone call telling her “Natalie’s gone.”
Anne McCullough was the latest witness to give evidence at Belfast Crown Court in a trial concerning the death of 32-year old Natalie McNally.
She was 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.
Ms McCullough confirmed that she and McCullagh met in 2010 when they were studying a film-making course at college and that they remained close friends until early 2023.
She told the court how McCullagh was “overjoyed” and “so excited” about becoming a father, how he and Ms McNally had discussed moving in together and how he was making improvements in his life and “prepping to becoming a dad.”
Ms McCullough said that prior to Ms McNally’s death, she met her on several occasions and that they had gone for coffee once.
She was asked by Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor KC about her friend’s stream on YouTube on the evening of Sunday, December 18, 2022.
Ms McCullough said McCullagh had discussed it with her and that she believed it was a live stream.
She was then asked about a series of messages she and McCullagh exchanged just after midnight on Monday, December 19, 2022 then later that day.
The witness confirmed she and McCullagh did message each other and that McCullagh initially told her he thought he was “in trouble” with Ms McNally as had been drinking during the live stream when he had promised Ms McNally he wouldn’t.
She said that after a few messages in the early hours, she went to sleep and that there were further messages later that day.
Ms McCullough said in the later messages, McCullagh said he hadn’t heard from Ms McNally and that he was starting to get worried about her, especially as she had diabetes.
She said she told McCullagh that if Ms McNally was mad at him this was “justified” and that he told her he was going to call to her home.
Ms McCullough said she called Ms McNally but got no answer then she sent her a meme.
She told the court: “He did ask me if he was to go and check on her if he could pick me up first and then that way I could go with him … and I said no.”
Asked by Mr MacCreanor if she heard from McCullagh that Monday evening, Ms McCullough said she received a call from him.
She said: “When I answered it he was really upset. He was screaming. He just kept shouting ‘she’s gone, Natalie’s gone.’
Ms McCullough said at this point she thought Ms McNally had left McCullagh.
She said: “I kept trying to get him to calm down. He was so loud. My phone wasn’t on speaker or anything, it was on normal volume and my Mum could hear him in the next room.
“He just kept howling and crying and screaming and I kept trying to get calm down, to try explain what was going on, what had happened and he just kept saying ‘she’s gone.’
Ms McCullough said a female officer took the phone and told her Ms McNally had died and asked her to come to the scene as McCullagh was “upset” and “inconsolable”.
After getting a lift to Lurgan with her brother, Ms McCullough then described what happened.
She said that when she arrived at Silverwood Green, she spoke to police who told her to go back and sit in the car.
Ms McCullough said she couldn’t really see what was at was going on but that she was “in shock … my friend and her baby were dead. I know I didn’t know Natalie that long but I considered her my friend.
“I just remember it being very, very dark and not knowing what was going on and just hoping somebody would come down and tell me what was happening.”
She recalled being informed that McCullagh was going to be taken into custody by police and questioned.
She also remembering asked if she could go with him and after being told no, she went home.
Ms McCullough said the following morning she saw an article on Belfast Live which stated Ms McNally had been murdered.
She said at that point she was aware McCullagh had been arrested the evening before and that she was “worried” about him.
The jury of six men and six women have already heard that following his initial arrest, McCullagh was released from police custody on December 20, 2022.
Ms McCullough said that after this initial release, she spoke to McCullagh who told her how he had found Ms McNally face down in a dog-bowl in her home and how there was “blood everywhere”.
McCullagh also told her about phoning an ambulance and performing CPR on Ms McNally before the ambulance arrived.
Telling the court “I have had nightmares about it ever since”, Ms McCullough said at this point she comforted McCullagh and she “thought at the time I was being a good friend.”
Mr MacCreanor then asked the witness about McCullagh’s re-arrest in January 2023.
Ms McCullough said she was about to go into a meeting in work when she saw a Belfast Live notification on her phone which detailed an arrest in Ms McNally’s case.
She said that after reading the article, she was initially excited because she believed the police had “found the guy who killed my friend.”
Ms McCullough also spoke of confusion about why she hadn’t heard from McCullagh.
She said that after trying to call him without success, she thought this was “weird” and that he may have been with Ms McNally’s family.
Ms McCullough said she then received a call from her sister telling her police were at her house which led her to realise it was McCullagh who had been arrested.
The witness said his arrest confused her as he had an alibi that he was live streaming on the evening of the murder which suggested he “couldn’t have done it.”
Asked by Mr MacCreanor how she felt when she learned the live stream had been pre-recorded, she said: “I have no idea why he would have lied to me about that.”
Ms McCullough was also questioned by defence barrister John Kearney KC and confirmed she would have considered McCullagh her “best friend”.
When asked if she felt her friend seemed “happy” with Ms McNally, the witness said the relationship “was going really well” and that McCullagh seemed “super happy.”
Ms McCullough also agreed that McCullagh was “ecstatic” about the pregnancy and that he had been looking forward to spending Christmas Day 2022 with the McNally family.
At hearing.
More from the murder trial:
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Natalie McNally trial: Mum breaks down in court as she recalls only daughter’s murder
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Man accused of murdering Natalie McNally told police ‘aggressive’ ex-boyfriend had been harassing her
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CCTV footage concerning ‘person of interest’ shown to jurors at Natalie McNally murder trial
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Cyber expert tells trial there was ‘extensive evidence’ live stream was pre-recorded
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YouTube ‘live stream’ made by man accused of Natalie McNally murder played for jury
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Natalie McNally subjected to ‘prolong assault’ and likely her unborn child ‘died as a result’, says pathologist
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Dog bowl beside head of Natalie McNally ‘almost like it had been used to collect the blood’, murder trial hears
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Constable ‘tried to console’ accused who was ‘distraught’ at scene
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Jury hears 999 call from man accused of killing pregnant partner
