A senior judge today (Wednesday) confirmed that a trial centring on the murder of Lurgan woman Natalie McNally will proceed next month.
The 32-year old – who was 15 weeks pregnant – died in her Co Armagh home in December 2022.
Stephen MCullagh from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn has been accused of, and has denied, murdering Ms McNally between December 17 and 20, 2022.
The 35-year-old attended court today via a videolink with HMP Maghaberry.
The trial had been listed to start this Monday (26th) but a majority of cases in the Crown Court have been impacted by the current withdrawal of services by barristers in a long-running dispute over fees.
The case was listed for ‘mention’ in Belfast Crown Court today, where it emerged that the case has been exempted from the industrial action.
Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor KC told Mr Justice Kinney that “for a multitude of factors”, he proposed a date for the trial to start as Monday, February 16.
He added: “There has been considerable discussion both with the investigating police, the family, the defence and our own position with the prosecution and witnesses so if that is appropriate for the court we would ask, now that we have been exempted from the withdrawal of services, for that to be our start date.”
Defence barrister John Kearney KC then told Mr Justice Kinney that there was “no difficulty on our side” for the trial starting on the proposed date.
Thanking both the Crown and defence, Mr Justice Kinney said he intended to start the trial on February 16.
He said: “This is a trial which has received its exemption from the ongoing action and I’m grateful for that.”
The case has been re-listed for a pre-trial review next Wednesday
