Sick social media post of killer YouTuber who moaned about the 'worst year of my life' days after murdering his pregnant girlfriend and staging fake livestream in bid to cover his tracks

A YouTuber who murdered his pregnant girlfriend while using a fake livestream as an alibi shamelessly posted about his 'suffering' and the 'worst year of my life' just days after the killing.

Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was violently attacked and killed at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, on December 18, 2022, by partner Stephen McCullagh.

McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, was yesterday convicted by a jury at Belfast Crown Court, after an intricate police investigation which exposed his six-hour Grand Theft Auto cover as a fake.

Now it can be revealed that just days after his evil crime, McCullagh took to social media to bemoan his 'loss' and boasted: 'I'm still here'.

Writing on X on New Year's Eve, 13 days after his 'horrendous' attack on Ms McNally which was so violent it left her face looking 'like a dog bowl', McCullagh said: '2022 was the worst year of my life. 

'You will never know the levels of suffering, loss, and cruelty I was subjected to, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. 

'I'm not ok, and I don't think I ever will fully be myself again. I've just lost too much. But I'm still here.'

Ms McNally suffered three stab wounds to the neck, multiple traumatic blows to her head and injuries consistent with being throttled, prosecutor Charles MacCreanor KC told the five-week trial.

Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn was convicted during the fifth week of his trial at Belfast Crown Court

Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was violently attacked and killed

'I'm sorry to say, it left with her face in a dog bowl, like an animal,' he added.

McCullagh, who had only met Ms McNally on dating app Bumble four months earlier, was initially arrested by police after 'discovering' her body at her home the day after the killing.

But he was released and her family was informed he was no longer a suspect after telling police he had an alibi, namely a six-hour livestream of him drinking alcohol and playing Grand Theft Auto which appeared to place him 20 miles away. 

Chillingly named 'The Violent Night', McCullagh advertised the stream two hours before it was due to begin on social media.

The footage opens with McCullagh wearing a Santa hat, welcoming viewers, and talking about the challenges of broadcasting live, saying he did not know how long it would last.

He said because of technical issues he would not be able to respond to the live chat, telling viewers to 'chat amongst themselves', and also said he would not use his phone.

He introduced the game Grand Theft Auto as one of his childhood favourites, and as he poured himself a Guinness, joked he would be drinking and driving, but added: 'In the game by the way, I'm not leaving the house tonight.'

The stream saw him become increasingly intoxicated and angry, shouting 'die, why won't you die' at one of the characters and telling viewers: 'I'm a very angry drunk'.

McCullagh murdered Ms McNally after setting up a 'false alibi' that he was livestreaming a Grand Theft Auto video gaming session on YouTube (pictured), which he chillingly named 'The Violent Night'

The family of Natalie McNally arrive outside Belfast Crown Court on Monday

However investigators at the Police Service of Northern Ireland's cyber crime unit found evidence on McCullagh's devices that the stream was in fact pre-recorded on December 14 and saved as a video file, before being streamed on YouTube as if it were live.

After he was re-arrested in January, McCullagh went on to admit to police in a pre-prepared statement that he had pre-recorded the footage.

He denied killing Ms McNally and claimed it was an ex-boyfriend who was responsible.

Throughout the trial, McCullagh's YouTube channel, which had some 37,000 subscribers at the time of the murder, remained online, as did the six-hour 'live' video.

But following his conviction yesterday, his main account has been removed by YouTube for violating its policies. A second 'archive' account belonging to McCullagh remains online.

After the murder, McCullagh continued posting on social media, including on New Year's Eve.

In another post two weeks later, less than a month after the murder of his pregnant partner, McCullagh posted a photograph of his mother and sickeningly told his followers to 'cherish the women in your lives'.

He wrote: 'Nine years gone today, missed now more than ever. 

Read More YouTuber is found guilty of murdering his pregnant girlfriend after he staged fake GTA livestream

'Cherish the women in your lives, their absence makes you realise just how much you learned from them and how strong they were for you. 

'Mothers matter, make sure they know that before it's too late.'

On Monday, a jury of six men and six women reached their verdict after two hours of deliberations. 

McCullagh stood without expression in the dock between prison staff as the verdict was read out.

Ms McNally's family and friends filled the public gallery behind the dock and cheered.

It emerged during the trial that after initially being released by police, McCullagh continued to have contact with Ms McNally's family and even made a 39-minute recording of them speaking, seemingly in a bid to see if they suspected him.

Three days before being arrested for a second time, the killer attended a rally alongside 1,000 others in memory of the mother-to-be.

McCullagh, now facing life in prison, will be sentenced in May. 

- August 7 2022: Stephen McCullagh sends his first WhatsApp message to Natalie McNally after they made contact on the online dating app Bumble. His first message read: 'Hey Nat, it's that robot weirdo from Bumble' and they discussed meeting for their first date that week.

Over the next 133 days the two were to exchange hundreds of messages. The prosecution in McCullagh's murder trial said that he had also accessed Ms McNally's phone and saw messages she had exchanged with other men.

- October: McCullagh meets Ms McNally's family for the first time.

- November: The McNally family are told that the couple are expecting a baby.

- December 14/15: McCullagh pre-records The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream. The six hour and four minute gaming session shows McCullagh playing Grand Theft Auto while drinking alcohol, swearing and at one point repeatedly shouting at a character in the game to die. During the session McCullagh makes repeated mention that it is being broadcast live on the Sunday (December 18).

- December 16/17: McCullagh tells friends he will broadcast a gaming session live on Sunday evening.

- December 18: Ms McNally is in McCullagh's home in Woodland Gardens in Lisburn while he is searching timetables for a bus from Dunmurry to Lurgan and a later train from Lurgan back to Lisburn. Ms McNally later leaves McCullagh's house to go to her parents' home to watch the World Cup final between Argentina and France before returning to her own house at Silverwood Green in Lurgan.

4pm: McCullagh posts an advert on Youtube about his 'live' gaming session.

5.57pm: McCullagh messages Ms McNally saying that he is 'off to stream the night away'. She replies: 'Good luck, I might have a peek at your livestream later.'

6pm: The pre-recorded livestream begins. McCullagh's telephone becomes inactive.

6.36pm: A man is captured on CCTV walking with a bag close to McCullagh's house. The prosecution in the trial said the man was McCullagh.

7.36pm: Bus CCTV shows the man with his face covered travelling from Dunmurry to Lurgan. After getting off the bus in Lurgan, he is tracked on a number of cameras travelling down Market Street towards William Street, Lough Road and into Silverwood Green, where Ms McNally lives.

8.24pm: Ms McNally logs in to YouTube to watch part of McCullagh's livestream gaming session.

8.51pm: McCullagh enters Ms McNally's house.

9.31pm: McCullagh leaves Ms McNally's house.

9.49pm: A man is seen on CCTV getting into a taxi near Fa Joe's bar in Lurgan.

11.12pm: The taxi arrives at McCullagh's house at Woodlands in Lisburn. He is seen on CCTV throwing two items over a hedge.

11.16pm: McCullagh's phone is unlocked and becomes active.

- December 19:

12.05am: The recording of the gaming broadcast is manually stopped.

12:08am: McCullagh messages Ms McNally.

5.05pm: McCullagh messages Ms McNally 'Are you ok?'.

5.25pm: He messages 'Getting a little worried, let me know you are safe'.

6.55pm: McCullagh orders a KFC.

9.07pm: He messages Ms McNally stating he is 'very concerned now'.

9.59pm: McCullagh arrives at Ms McNally's house in Lurgan and makes a 10-minute 999 call. He tells emergency services 'Please come as soon as you can, she's pregnant, she's cold'. He is asked by the call handler: 'Is the patient breathing?' and responds tearfully 'No, she's gone', adding 'there's blood everywhere'. He tells the call handler Ms McNally was 15 weeks' pregnant.

The trial heard that the victim had suffered a 'horrendous beating'. Charles MacCreanor KC said: 'Three stabs to the neck, multiple traumatic blows to her head. Injuries consistent with throttling and choking of her neck. I'm sorry to say it, left with her face in a dog bowl, like an animal'.

McCullagh is questioned by police about the death. In his initial interview he tells police he was doing a livestream at the time of her death and that he believes Ms McNally's ex-boyfriend is the 'only one that would harm her'.

He is asked by police 'Had you anything whatsoever to do with the death of Natalie?' to which replied: 'No comment'. His solicitor tells him: 'Sorry, I think you could answer that.' McCullagh tells police 'No, no, no comment.'

- December 20:

7.34am: McCullagh is released by police.

- December 24: The McNally family are told McCullagh is no longer a suspect for the murder.

- December 25: McCullagh attends a wake for Ms McNally at her parents' home on Christmas Day.

- January 26 2023: McCullagh visits the McNally family home again. When he departs the house, he leaves his phone behind and makes a 39-minute recording of the family speaking. He returns later to retrieve the phone.

- January 28: More than 1,000 people attend a rally in Lurgan in memory of Ms McNally. McCullagh attends the event. A video montage of images of Ms McNally is played and the crowd are told it was put together by McCullagh, 'Natalie's loving partner'.

- January 31: McCullagh is arrested again by police.

- February 1: During police interview McCullagh replies 'no comment' to a series of questions about Ms McNally's murder. He is confronted for the first time with evidence that his gaming session had been pre-recorded. A detective tells him that his devices had been examined and there was no user generated activity during the hours when he claimed to be broadcasting live. He answers: 'That is literally impossible because you can see it on YouTube.'

Following the interview McCullagh provides a statement to police in which he says the gaming session had been pre-recorded in advance.

He added: 'I think it is obvious the true killer of Natalie has left a clear circumstantial trail to link me to the murder.'

- February 2: Stephen McCullagh is charged with the murder of Natalie McNally.

- February 23 2026: McCullagh goes on trial for the murder of Natalie McNally at Belfast Crown Court.

- March 23: McCullagh is found guilty by the jury.