Man’s gaming ‘livestream’ at time of girlfriend’s murder was recorded four days earlier, court told

Prosecutors allege Stephen McCullagh broadcast six-hour recording to provide alibi for killing Natalie McNally

A man in Northern Ireland confected an alibi for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend by uploading a prerecorded gaming session to YouTube and pretending it was a live stream, a court has been told.

Stephen McCullagh broadcast a six-hour recording of him playing Grand Theft Auto and Robot Wars to create the impression that he was at home, while in fact he was 17 miles away committing murder, prosecutors told Belfast crown court on Thursday.

McCullagh, 36, of Lisburn, County Antrim, denies murdering Natalie McNally, 32, who was found dead at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022.

The prosecution alleges McCullagh hoped to get away with a brutal killing that was “planned, calculated and premeditated”.