A YouTuber who faked a gaming livestream to create an alibi while murdering his pregnant girlfriend has been jailed for at least 31 years.The sentencing follows a court hearing in Belfast in which it was ruled that he carried out a “brutal and frenzied attack”.36-year-old Stephen McCullagh from Lisburn, Ireland showed no emotion as Justice Kinney handed down a life sentence with a minimum term of 31 years. A jury had already convicted him of murdering his partner, 32-year-old Natalie McNally.McNally was 15 weeks pregnant and was killed at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022. McCullagh carefully planned the attack and later tried to cover his tracks using a fake online broadcast.He told detectives he had been streaming video games on his YouTube channel at the time of the killing. However, the six-hour livestream was not live at all. It had been pre-recorded several days earlier and scheduled to play as though it were happening in real time. The judge said the fake stream was a key part of the murder plan.Following the killing, McCullagh also attempted to direct suspicion towards Ms McNally’s ex-partner. He further maintained contact with her family, presenting himself as grieving while they mourned her death. He even spent time with her relatives after the murder, including at her wake, where he appeared supportive while hiding his involvement.The judge said McCullagh was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Ms McNally’s face had been placed in a dog bowl after the attack, calling it an act of humiliation. Kinney told McCullagh that his actions were “brutal and senseless.”McCullagh stood quietly as the sentence was read out. The judge said the 31-year minimum term could not reflect the value of McNally’s life or that of her unborn child, named Dean.Following sentencing, McNally’s father Noel said the family felt they were “serving a life sentence” after their loss.He said: “Over the past three and a half years, our family have been through unimaginable pain and grief from the loss of our beautiful Natalie.He added: “With respect, we are now asking for some privacy as we continue to grieve.”
