The tragic murder of Natalie McNally continues to haunt the internet, with her partner being refused bail in September 2024 on grounds that include an alleged "mastery of media."
Stephen McCullagh was arrested after the body of his pregnant wife was found at her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. McNally had sustained stab wounds and compression to the neck, combined with blunt force injuries to the head.
Although he denied killing his partner, McCullagh has been dubbed a “particularly skilful and manipulative individual" when described in court.
Covering the story in a YouTube video titled "YouTube Channels Abandoned for Disturbing Reasons", Visual Venture's Gerard Christian explains how McCullagh's Votesaxon07 channel (a nod to John Simm playing the Master in Doctor Who) has been left to gather dust. When not reviewing Doctor Who merch and discussing the franchise, his 40,000 followers could watch him livestreaming video games. This part becomes crucial in the aftermath of McCullagh being connected to the brutal murder of his partner.
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Importantly, McCullagh was accused of faking a video livestream to cover up McNally's murder.
Prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor KC claimed (via the BBC) that McCullagh executed McNally's murder "with a great deal of planning and premeditation, which is highly significant."
The prosecution maintains that his internet history in the days before McNally's death included searches for, "What’s more painful, dying by drowning or being burnt alive?" and “Is it extremely painful to die by gunshot than to stabbed in the heart?"
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The Crown KC explains how McCullagh claims that when he 'last saw' McNally, he reminded her that he'd be livestreaming himself playing video games, which was something he'd also advertized on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
MacCreanor continued to suggest that McCullagh 'deliberately led' McNally to believe he would be at home all night. This includes a text that reportedly said, "Right, I'm away to stream the night away, wish me luck."
It's said that McNally replied, saying: "Good luck. I might have a peep at your live stream later."
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While McCullagh appeared to be playing GTA for six hours on the night of the murder, a senior detective told the court how cyber experts had conducted an extensive examination of the accused's devices, suggesting the video had been pre-recorded and posted as a livestream.
Visual Ventures calls out several 'red flags' from the livestream, like McCullagh saying he couldn't interact with viewers due to technical issues, as well as repeatedly pointing out the time as a seeming way to solidify his alibi.
When the pre-record allegations were put to McCullagh, he changed his story and said that he wasn't livestreaming but was drinking alone on the night of McNally's murder. There was no one to back up his claims, although CCTV appeared to show someone matching his description taking a taxi near McNally's home that same night.
The prosecution reiterated that the livestream video was 'contrived' and a "significant piece of evidence in this case."
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A murder trial was set for May 2025, but back then, Mr Justice O’Hara expressed dismay that they're “not even close” to locking in a trial date due to delays in acquiring legal aid.