A former boyfriend of Natalie McNally directly addressed the man accused of her murder at Belfast Crown Court on Monday, telling Stephen McCullagh that he killed her. Mr Justice Kinney intervened, instructing the witness to remain calm and answer only the questions put to him.

McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 32-year-old Lurgan woman. Ms McNally was 15 weeks pregnant with McCullagh's child when she was found dead at her Silverwood Green home on 18 December 2022. The trial, now in its third week before a jury of six men and six women, is expected to last around five weeks.

The former boyfriend, who cannot be named due to a reporting restriction, gave evidence under questioning from prosecution counsel Charles MacCreanor KC. He told the court he met Ms McNally on the dating app Tinder in 2019 and moved into her home before later securing his own flat. He said they continued to meet regularly after the relationship ended and that Ms McNally remained his closest friend.

The court heard the contents of email and WhatsApp messages exchanged between the witness and Ms McNally from the summer of 2022 until the evening of her death. Some messages were sexually explicit. The witness said the last time he and Ms McNally were together physically was at her home in October 2022. He told the court he was not proud of the messages and acknowledged he had taken advantage of Ms McNally.

The witness said he was at his flat on the night Ms McNally died, watching the World Cup Final. He said he drank alcohol and fell asleep, adding that his then-girlfriend had video footage of him sleeping. He told the court he learned of Ms McNally's death via a Snapchat message from a neighbour.

Police initially approached the witness to provide a statement and later arrested him on suspicion of murder. He was interviewed on 22 December 2022. He denied any involvement in Ms McNally's death. The trial previously heard that McCullagh had told police and Ms McNally's family that the former boyfriend was responsible.

During cross-examination by defence barrister John Kearney KC, the witness was asked whether he had difficulty controlling his anger. He acknowledged he had been under extreme stress over the past three years and accepted he could have anger issues at times. He was also questioned about Ms McNally's dog and about aggressive messages he had sent to another partner. He denied threatening to harm anyone.

The court also heard that McCullagh had the password to Ms McNally's phone. The trial continues.