Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, must serve a minimum of 31 years in prison before he can be considered for release for the murder of his pregnant partner Natalie McNally. The tariff was set by Mr Justice Kinney at Belfast Crown Court on 3 June 2026.

McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant with their son Dean when she was beaten, strangled and stabbed at her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on the evening of 18 December 2022. McCullagh had been found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict in March following a five-week trial.

Mr Justice Kinney told McCullagh the sentence could not reflect the value of McNally's life or that of her unborn child. The judge described the killing as planned in detail and characterised by excessive violence. He said McCullagh's culpability was exceptionally high and that the case was far more serious than most murders.

Central to the prosecution was a six-hour YouTube gaming session titled "The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream" which McCullagh claimed was broadcast live on the evening of the killing. Police cyber crime experts established the stream had been pre-recorded several days earlier and played out as if live to provide a false alibi. Mr Justice Kinney said the staged stream was an integral part of the murder plan, carefully curated to give McCullagh a complete alibi.

The judge noted that McCullagh mounted a concerted effort to blame McNally's ex-boyfriend for her killing. He also highlighted how McCullagh spent time with the McNally family after the murder, presenting himself as devastated and distraught. McCullagh attended McNally's wake on Christmas Day and was comforted by her family, who allowed him time alone with her coffin. He also attended a memorial rally in Lurgan in January 2023, where a video tribute he had assembled was played.

CCTV evidence pieced together by police showed a man travelling by bus from Dunmurry to Lurgan on the evening of the killing, walking to McNally's home, and later returning by taxi to McCullagh's address in Lisburn. McCullagh's phone was inactive during the period of the attack and reactivated after his return home. He was initially arrested at the scene on 19 December 2022 after making a 999 call reporting McNally's body, but was released on the basis of his alibi. He was re-arrested on 31 January 2023 after forensic examination of his computer disproved the livestream claim, and was charged with murder the following day.

At a sentencing hearing in May, the court was told McCullagh made contradictory statements to his probation officer, initially insisting he was not guilty before later describing the murder as evil and vicious and referring to himself as a monster.

Catherine Kierans, head of the PPS Serious Crime Unit, said after the hearing that the case marked the conclusion of proceedings against a calculating murderer. She said McCullagh had shown no remorse and that she had never encountered a domestic murder with such a level of premeditation in her 27 years as a lawyer. Kierans highlighted McCullagh's wearing of a disguise, forensic awareness, framing of an innocent person, and covert recording of the bereaved family as particularly notable features.

DCI Neil McGuinness, the PSNI's senior investigating officer, described the killing as a tragic case of domestic homicide. He said hundreds of house-to-house enquiries and thousands of hours of CCTV were analysed during the investigation.

Noel McNally, Natalie's father, said in a statement outside court that his family had been serving a life sentence since the murder. He thanked the PSNI, the prosecution service, and the community of Lurgan and Craigavon for their support. He said the sentence was not a cause for celebration but expressed hope it would serve as a deterrent against violence towards women and girls. The family asked for privacy as they continue to grieve.