Natalie McNally murder: Audio of Stephan McCullagh's 999 call as he 'masqueraded as a distraught partner' is released publicly for first time
A chilling audio recording of the 999 call Natalie McNally’s killer Stephen McCullagh made to the emergency services has been released publicly for the first time.
Pretending to have just discovered the horrific scene at the Lurgan woman’s home, McCullagh called the emergency services in apparent hysterics.
He can be heard shouting “No, she’s cold” when a call handler calmly asks “Is the patient breathing?”.
At another point in the emergency call, the operator asks “You think she’s pregnant?” to which McCullagh shouts “Yeah”.
The recording has been released for the first time for the public to hear after McCullagh received a minimum of 31 years in prison for the killing, described by Mr Justice Kinney as “brutal and senseless”.
Ms McNally was 32 years old and 15 weeks pregnant with their unborn son Dean when she was beaten, strangled and stabbed by McCullagh in her home in December 2022.
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The 36-year-old, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, was given a life sentence in March, after a jury unanimously found him guilty of Natalie’s murder.
After sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector McGuinness said: “McCullagh travelled to Natalie’s home in Lurgan on the night of Sunday, 18 December 18.
"Here, he carried out a sustained and shockingly violent attack, which took Natalie’s life and that of her unborn son.
"Having returned to his Lisburn home, McCullagh revisited the address some 24 hours later, whereupon, pretending to have just discovered the tragic scene, he phoned the Ambulance Service. Here, and for the weeks that followed, he masqueraded as a distraught and caring partner.”