Stephen McCullagh Convicted of Natalie McNally Murder

A jury at Belfast Crown Court found Stephen McCullagh guilty on Monday, March 23, 2026, for the December 2022 murder of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally.

The 36-year-old YouTuber, known online as "votesaxon07," was convicted following a five-week trial that detailed a "planned, calculated and premeditated" plot to kill the 32-year-old at her home in Lurgan.

The jury reached the unanimous verdict after hearing evidence of a sophisticated digital alibi involving a pre-recorded gaming session.

The case centered on a high-tech deception where McCullagh broadcast a six-hour video of Grand Theft Auto to his subscribers, pretending it was a live stream to hide his location.

“He uploaded a prerecorded gaming session to YouTube and pretended it was a live stream to confect an alibi,” prosecutors stated during the trial.

However, experts proved the footage was recorded days earlier, during which time McCullagh traveled to commit the "prolonged assault" that included stab wounds to the neck and heavy blows to the head.

The verdict currently stands as a landmark conclusion to a case that gripped Northern Ireland.

Its primary mandate involves the mandatory life sentence handed down by Mr. Justice Kinney, who informed McCullagh he will remain in custody until a tariff hearing in May.

The trial will also absorb and expand upon the harrowing testimony regarding McCullagh’s history of domestic abuse and controlling behavior.

A critical component of the prosecution’s evidence included testimony from a former partner who alleged he had beaten her and "covertly recorded her counselling sessions" following the loss of a baby.

One witness cited his behavior as a pattern of “calculated deception” intended to isolate and manipulate those closest to him throughout their seven-year relationship.

One of the most immediate challenges for the legal system was unraveling the "meticulous preparations" McCullagh made, including wearing a disguise on a bus to Lurgan. Observers cited the "unpredictable nature" of his digital double life as the primary reason the investigation required such extensive cyber-forensics.

“He punched me in the temple... he said I could kill myself on my own time,” his ex-girlfriend recalled of his previous violence, echoing the sentiment that his pattern of abuse had escalated to a fatal conclusion.

The establishment of this guilty verdict follows years of work by the PSNI and the McNally family to expose the truth behind the "live stream lie."

While the sentencing phase is yet to come, the emphasis remains on the fact that technology, intended to hide the crime, ultimately served as the key to uncovering it.

Director-level investigators pledged to ensure that the "sophisticated and cool-headed" nature of the crime was fully understood by the court.

As the jury adjourned, the sentiment remained that the truth had finally surfaced, ensuring that the "planned and premeditated" actions of Stephen McCullagh resulted in a life behind bars.