Natalie’s body found ‘close to dog bowl filled with blood’, trial hears
A police officer has described how he saw a dog bowl filled with blood beside the body of Natalie McNally.
The sergeant was called to give evidence on the second day of the murder trial.
Ms McNally was killed in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan between 8.50pm and 9.30pm on Sunday, December 18, 2022.
At the time of her death, she was 15 weeks pregnant.
The father of her unborn child, 36-year old Stephen McCullagh from Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, has been accused of and has denied her murder.
After being called to give evidence at Belfast Crown Court, the police officer confirmed he attended Ms McNally's address on the evening of December 19, 2022.
When he arrived, members from the Ambulance Service were at the scene along with other police officers.
Under questioning from Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor KC, the witness confirmed he entered the home and saw McCullagh in the hallway who was "very upset, he was crying”.
He said after McCullagh was "led out" to a police car by another officer, he walked upstairs and observed Ms McNally's feet at the top of the staircase.
When asked if he saw Ms McNally at the top of the stairs, the sergeant replied "I did", adding: "she was lying on her back”.
He continued: "Her head was in the living room which was on the first floor. She was lying on her back with her feet protruding over the stairs.
"She was slightly raised on the left hand side by a cushion and her left arm was up against the wall."
When asked if blood was visible, the officer said: "Yes, there was blood visible around her neck. I noticed a puncture wound.
"There was blood which was in a dog bowl. It looked almost like it had been used to collect the blood."
Mr MacCreanor asked the sergeant if he observed a small black-handled knife in the living room and he confirmed he saw it on the floor "some distance away from the deceased's head”.
He added he also saw some blood "on the wall closest to the knife".
Mr MacCreanor asked the witness if he was aware of McCullagh’s arrest at the scene at 11.40pm.
The sergeant confirmed this and that McCullagh was taken into custody to Banbridge PSNI station.
At hearing.