Stephen McCullagh, 36, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, denies murdering his pregnant partner Natalie McNally, 32, at her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022. She was 15 weeks pregnant when beaten, strangled and stabbed between 8.50pm and 9.30pm.

Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor KC delivered the prosecution's closing speech to the jury at Belfast Crown Court. He described the case against McCullagh as strong and compelling. MacCreanor noted McCullagh chose not to give evidence, relying instead on police interviews and a pre-prepared statement.

The prosecutor highlighted McCullagh's claim of live streaming a gaming session on YouTube between 6pm and midnight that evening. Forensic analysis of his computer by PSNI cyber crime team showed no user activity during those hours. McCullagh maintained the stream was live until his re-arrest on January 31, 2023, and interviews on February 1. He then admitted pre-recording it days earlier.

MacCreanor stated McCullagh lied to McNally, friends, her family and police about the stream. At her wake on Christmas Day 2022, he showed family members the video. On December 19, McCullagh called 999 from her home, reporting her body.

CCTV footage showed a male taking a bus from Dunmurry to Lurgan around 7.35pm, walking from Lurgan town centre to Silverwood, then returning to town centre and taking a taxi to McCullagh's address at 11.16pm. The male wore a distinctive hat and wig matching images on McCullagh's social media. McCullagh's phone unlocked four minutes later, after being inactive from 6.25pm.

Evidence included McCullagh accessing Translink bus and train timetables from Dunmurry to Lurgan and Lurgan to Lisburn that day while McNally was at his house. Testimony came from McNally's ex-boyfriend, whom McCullagh blamed, and a former partner who reported an assault by him in 2019 after finding messages on her phone.

Mr Justice Kinney released the jury after the speech, instructing them to return for the defence closing.