'How did we fall for it?' - McNally family on murderer's lies after Natalie's death

The father of Natalie McNally said he has not been able to get over allowing her murderer to be left alone with her during her wake.

Natalie was 15 weeks pregnant when she was stabbed and beaten to death at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022.

In an interview after the verdict, Noel and Bernie McNally said finding out McCullagh had been arrested for their daughter's murder was like getting "hit by a bus" and the "relief" they felt after waiting almost four years for justice.

McCullagh had been arrested the day Natalie's body was found but later released, after giving the police a false alibi of a so-called YouTube "live stream" which he later admitted he had pre-recorded.

In the days that followed he acted the part of the grieving boyfriend.

Speaking to BBC News NI about the days following the 32-year-old's murder, Noel said McCullagh arrived on the night of Christmas Day to pay his respects to Natalie.

"We brought him in and he told us the whole story about how he found Natalie... we felt so sorry for him," he said.

"We thought he was a grieving father and everyone moved out of the wake room and left him on his own with Natalie for about 20 minutes, half an hour.

"It was terrible to think... that we left him with our lovely daughter who he brutally murdered."

Noel said that the family still have not got over allowing him alone with their daughter.

"You feel so guilty sometimes, you know, how did we fall for it?"

Natalie's mother, Bernie, said one of her son's brought McCullagh to his victim's grave.

"To this day, I don't think Declan will get over that. He feels so guilty about that.

"It's not Declan's fault. He was looking after him."

Bernie said that the family spoke about their guilt in how McCullagh was "on his own" in the days and weeks following Natalie's murder.

"We've got each other, we've got the whole family here," Bernie added.

Noel said: "He had nobody and we were bringing him here and bringing him dinner and giving him food to take home."

During McCullagh's visits to the McNally family home, there was "no sense" of feeling that he was behind Natalie's murder.

"He was just such a good actor," Bernie said.

"When you look back at some of the things he was saying and doing... he never, ever let his guard down."

Bernie recalled how McCullagh would tell her how he found Natalie, believing that the ordeal had left him "traumatised".

"He was just taking pleasure out of telling us, it was so horrific," she said.

"I have to say, to me, he was enjoying it, he was watching, he was sitting there telling us.

"Why would you otherwise that's what I was saying to myself at the time: 'Why is he telling me this?' He must be traumatised."

'He thought he could get away with it'

Almost two months after Natalie's murder, McCullagh was arrested for a second time and Noel said the news came as a "shock".

He said the realisation it was Natalie's partner was "like being hit by a bus", and that no one had suspected McCullagh because he had "put it into our heads that it was the ex-boyfriend".

"He was so lucky to have even seen Natalie or knew Natalie and he killed her," Noel added.

"I just can't get my head around how he could have done that."

When asked if they believed McCullagh thought he would get away with Natalie's murder, they said yes.

"I think he did, he really did think he could get away with it - but he's not as smart as he thought he was," Bernie said.

McCullagh, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, had denied murdering Natalie but it took a jury just over two hours of deliberation to deliver a guilty verdict earlier this week.

Afterwards Natalie's brother Declan said having Natalie in "our lives was the greatest joy we'll ever have".

On the day of the verdict, Natalie's dad said there was an "outpouring of emotions" waiting for the result to come through, adding that it was "surreal".

"We've been waiting three and a half years for that one word, and whenever it came out, it was three and a half years of frustration - it all just came out in one go."

But the fact it took so long to get justice for his daughter was "unforgivable", and that McCullagh had "put us through hell".

Becoming emotional, Noel said Natalie was their "wee princess" and even though she lived in her own home, she visited her parents almost every day.

"Whenever I hear the door opening sometimes I think it's her," he said.

Bernie said that it was many of the silly things - like helping her with technology or accompanying her parents on holidays - that she misses.

"I miss her so much every day."

McCullagh a 'danger' to society

After the guilty verdict was delivered, the judge told the court the offence comes with a life sentence, due to to be set in May.

Noel said that term will never be enough, adding that he was a "big danger to society".

"No matter how long he gets we'll be walking out of court disappointed," he said.

"We honestly think he should never be allowed out of jail, he should get a full life sentence for Natalie."

"We're the ones with the life sentence, he shouldn't really be allowed in society, I can't see how he could ever reform or change."