BELFAST (Azat TV) – Stephen McCullagh, a 36-year-old YouTuber, has been found guilty of the murder of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally, following a unanimous verdict delivered by a jury at Belfast Crown Court on March 23, 2026. The conviction marks the conclusion of a high-profile five-week trial that centered on one of the most calculated efforts to evade justice in recent Northern Irish legal history.
Digital Forensics Debunking a Pre-Recorded Alibi
The case gained significant attention for McCullagh’s attempt to manufacture an alibi using digital deception. On the night of December 18, 2022, while McNally was being attacked in her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, a six-hour video of McCullagh playing the game Grand Theft Auto was broadcast on his YouTube channel, votesaxon07. The stream featured McCullagh wearing a Santa hat, drinking, and joking, leading his 37,000 subscribers to believe he was at his home in Lisburn, 17 miles away.
However, investigators from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s cybercrime unit proved the broadcast was a pre-recorded file, created days earlier. Forensic analysis of his electronic devices established that the video was manually triggered to play while McCullagh was traveling to and from the scene of the murder. The prosecution described the plot as a “sophisticated, calculated and cool-headed” attempt to deceive both the public and law enforcement.
The Deception of a Grieving Partner
The trial revealed that after the murder, McCullagh maintained his charade by inserting himself into the lives of the grieving family. He attended McNally’s wake, was permitted time alone with her coffin, and even assisted in organizing a memorial rally. Prosecutors detailed how he had engaged in “lies upon lies,” including planting a hidden recording device in the home of the victim’s parents to monitor if they suspected his involvement.
McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant with the couple’s child at the time of her death. The court heard that she had been subjected to a brutal attack, suffering multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. While McCullagh initially blamed an ex-boyfriend of the victim, he eventually admitted in a statement that the livestream was pre-recorded, though he continued to deny the murder charge until the jury returned their verdict.
Broader Implications for Digital Evidence
The conviction of McCullagh underscores the critical role of modern digital forensics in homicide investigations. By tracking CCTV movements across multiple transit points and synchronizing them against the metadata of the gaming stream, authorities were able to dismantle an alibi designed to exploit the trust of an online audience. As the court moves toward a sentencing hearing in May, the case serves as a stark reminder of the evolving nature of domestic violence crimes and the increasing reliance on technical evidence to secure accountability.
The verdict highlights the necessity for law enforcement to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated attempts to weaponize digital platforms, as perpetrators continue to adapt their methods to avoid traditional investigative scrutiny.