Natalie McNally murder trial: Police officer ‘tried to console’ a ‘distraught’ Stephen McCullagh, court hears
A number of first responders from the emergency services were called by the prosecution to give evidence to the Natalie McNally murder trial after the lunch break on Monday.
A senior paramedic with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service first took to the witness stand and said he was crewed up with two other colleagues when they received an emergency call at around 10pm on December 19 in Lurgan.
He told the jury that he was first through the door of the property. He said he heard noises and shouted out “Northern Ireland Ambulance Service” and a voice replied “up here”.
The paramedic said he climbed the stairs to the first floor where the living room, bedroom and kitchen were situated.
He said the first thing he noticed was a female's body lying on her back on the landing which was "unresponsive and not breathing”.
Saying the scene looking "suspicious", the paramedic noted that the female's left arm was elevated, that rigor mortis had set in and "there was no hope of resuscitation". He said he also noticed her "lips and hands were blue”.
The witness said a male was administering CPR to the female and he told him to stop. "He got quite upset about that", he told the court and added life was pronounced extinct at 10.10 pm.
The paramedic said that from his observation of the scene "it was obvious a lot of blood had been lost. This was to the top of her body between her head and shoulders."
Asked by senior prosecutor Mr MacCreanor if he noticed anything about the body, the paramedic said he noted a "small puncture wound" on the side of her neck.
A female police constable was also called to give evidence and recalled arriving at the scene shortly after 10pm.
She said the front door was open and when she went inside she noted "quite a foul smell" emanating from inside.
She described the townhouse as an "upside down property" with the garage on the ground floor and the living room on the first floor.
She said she took McCullagh out of the property to her nearby police vehicle while paramedics tended to the scene.
The constable said: "He was very upset, he was distraught. I just tried to console him."