Belfast Crown Court heard on Friday that Natalie McNally exchanged messages with three men in the months before her death in which she described herself as single, expressed uncertainty about her relationship with the father of her unborn child, and indicated she was considering a break-up after Christmas 2022.

McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed at her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on 18 December 2022. Her partner Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim, denies her murder. The evidence was presented to the jury on the 14th day of the trial.

In messages to a man identified as Male C on 11 December, McNally was asked whether she intended to end the relationship. She responded that she would not do so before Christmas but would reassess in the new year. She added that there was nothing wrong with McCullagh but that she was feeling uneasy.

In a separate exchange with a man identified as Male P, which ran from June to December 2022, McNally was asked whether she and McCullagh were together. She said they were still figuring things out, that she valued her independence, and that she did not intend to rush into a family arrangement. She noted that she had a good job and a house and did not need to rely on anyone else.

A third man, identified as Male B, messaged McNally on 16 December. She told him she was pregnant and described herself as single. She said her family were delighted about the baby.

The jury was also told that internet searches were conducted on McCullagh's phone on 16, 17 November and 9 December 2022 relating to a vasectomy procedure. On 18 December, the day of McNally's death, further searches were made on his device for Translink bus and train timetables covering services between Lisburn, Lurgan and surrounding areas.

The court heard that a note created on McCullagh's phone on 8 November recorded his observations about McNally's apprehension over moving in with him. The note stated she saw his home as his house rather than hers and that she wanted to remain close to her family.

A 39-minute audio recording made in the McNally family home was also found on McCullagh's phone. It was dated 26 January 2023, two days before a vigil planned in McNally's memory at Lurgan Park.

Holly McNally, who is married to one of Natalie McNally's brothers, gave evidence. She told the court she was in the family home on 26 January 2023 while relatives organised the vigil. She said McCullagh visited that day, stayed for roughly two hours, then left. He returned about 20 minutes later and told her he had forgotten his phone. He retrieved it and departed.

The trial continues.