'ACCUSED SECRETLY RECORDED NATALIE'S FAMILY'

A MAN charged with the murder of Natalie McNally used his phone to record her family in their home to see if they suspected him, a court heard.

- DAVID YOUNG and JONATHAN MCCAMBRIDGE

YouTuber Stephen McCullagh, 32, is also accused of staging a video gaming livestream to provide an alibi on the night he allegedly killed the mum-to-be.

He was remanded in custody yesterday after being charged with Natalie's murder in Lurgan, Co Armagh, in December.

A prosecution lawyer told the court: "The theory is that he wanted to see was there any suspicion about him."

YouTuber’s livestream game alibi ‘was fake’

McCullagh admits prerecording show...but denies killing

A YOUTUBE star staged a livestream alibi for the night he allegedly killed mum-to-be Natalie McNally, a court heard yesterday.

Stephen McCullagh, 32, was remanded in custody after appearing before a district judge, charged with the alleged December 18 murder.

Ms McNally, 32, was stabbed at her home in Silverwood Green, Lurgan, Co Armagh. She was 15 weeks pregnant.

The accused, from Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, was previously arrested on December 19 but released and ruled out as a suspect. He was rearrested on January 31.

At the remand hearing at Lisburn Magistrates' Court, the judge heard McCullagh who has a YouTube channel under username Votesaxon07 and posted on Instagram as "Stephen McCalla" - staged a live broadcast on the night of the murder, with footage appearing to show him playing the video game Grand Theft Auto for six hours.

ARRESTED

A senior PSNI detective told the court extensive technical examination of his devices by cyber experts has indicated the footage was prerecorded and played out as if it was live.

Det Chief Insp Neil McGuinness noted that on the footage McCullagh tells his 37,000 subscribers he is unable to interact with them live because of technical issues.