Stephen McCullagh, 36, has appealed his 31-year sentence for the murder of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally. McCullagh was found guilty in March after a trial that lasted more than four weeks for the killing, which occurred on December 18, 2022, at McNally's home in Lurgan.
The sentence handed down by Mr. Justice Kinney mandates that McCullagh must serve a minimum of 31 years in custody before he can be considered for release by parole commissioners. At the sentencing, Mr. Justice Kinney characterized the crime as a "brutal and senseless murder planned in remorseless detail, cold-blooded and calculated."
The Public Prosecution Service has been notified that McCullagh, who is from Lisburn in County Antrim, has lodged the appeal against his sentence. He had denied murdering McNally prior to the guilty verdict.