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YouTuber’s Pre-Recorded Live Gaming Stream Used as False Alibi in Natalie McNally Murder Trial

by Claire Donovan
written by Claire Donovan

BELFAST —

Jurors at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday watched excerpts of what prosecutors called a “so-called” live YouTube gaming broadcast that the man accused of murdering Natalie McNally allegedly used to “peddle a false alibi,” deepening a closely watched Northern Ireland trial testing how digital footprints are weighed in the dock. Stephen McCullagh, 36, denies killing Ms McNally, 32, who was 15 weeks pregnant when she was attacked at her Lurgan home on December 18, 2022.

The court was told the video — titled The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream — appeared to run for six hours from 6pm to midnight on the night Ms McNally died, but had in fact been recorded days earlier. McCullagh, sitting in the dock, watched as the jury of six men and six women viewed around 90 minutes of the footage.

A live‑streamed alibi on trial

The case is resonating far beyond Northern Ireland because it centers on whether a carefully staged online performance can be dismantled by forensic analysis and traditional investigative work. Around the world, courts are increasingly asked to authenticate social‑media and streaming content — a challenge amplified by the ease of editing digital video and the blurred line between “live” and scheduled broadcasts. In this instance, police cyber specialists concluded the stream was not live, and prosecutors argue the faked session formed a deliberate cover story intended to place McCullagh at home at the precise time Ms McNally was killed.

What jurors saw and heard

Wearing a Santa hat and sipping Guinness and Baileys as he played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, McCullagh repeatedly framed the session as a live event. “I’m going to drink during this live stream … I’m going to drink and drive in the game,” he said at one point. “I’m not leaving the house tonight.” He also told viewers he “can’t look at the live chat for some bloody reason” and asked them to “chat amongst” themselves. “I’m a very angry gamer by the way,” he added, before declaring he would “call it a night” at midnight. “It’ll be a really good f***ing Christmas this year,” he said.

“Hey and we’re live…hello, hello to all on this glorious Sunday evening. Yeah, I just thought, why not, I’m going to do a live stream because this day next week is Christmas.”

Prosecutor Charles MacCreanor KC introduced the footage and described the broadcast to jurors as a “so‑called live stream,” alleging it underpinned a “false alibi.” The panel also saw crime‑scene exhibits: a small black‑handled knife found beside the victim, a silver dog bowl, and a sheet of diabetes information recovered near the body.

Key times under scrutiny

Investigators have placed Ms McNally’s time of death between 8.50pm and 9.30pm on December 18, 2022. Messages disclosed in court trace the evening’s chronology in the hours before that window, including her 5.55pm text after watching the World Cup final — “Argentina win it, I’m crying…” — and McCullagh’s 5.57pm reply: “Right, I’m off to stream the night away. Wish me luck.” Her final reply at 5.59pm read: “Good luck. I might have a peek at your live stream later”.

  • 6pm–midnight, Dec 18, 2022: Video titled The Violent Night Christmas Live Gaming Stream appears online as a live session, which the accused later admits was pre‑recorded.
  • 8.50pm–9.30pm: Estimated time of death at Ms McNally’s home in Silverwood Green, Lurgan.
  • Late Jan 2023–Feb 2, 2023: After initial inquiries, McCullagh is rearrested; on February 2 he submits a pre‑prepared statement admitting the footage was pre‑recorded.

Additional WhatsApp messages presented to jurors showed the accused attempting contact the following day. At 4.09pm on Monday, December 19, he wrote: “I love you and I don’t want to do anything to hurt or upset you,” and later said he was “getting a little worried” when she did not reply. At 9.31pm he messaged to say he was going to her house. All messages went unanswered, the court heard.

A digital alibi under forensic scrutiny

The prosecution contends the stream was recorded in advance to create the impression of presence at home while the killing was carried out off‑camera; the defence maintains McCullagh did not commit the crime. Cyber‑forensic work by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, including analysis of file metadata and platform logs, was described in court as central to unravelling the claimed alibi — an illustration of how UK courts increasingly rely on technical analysis to establish the timing, authorship and integrity of online material.

Under the rules governing criminal trials in Northern Ireland, including the duty to prove guilt “beyond reasonable doubt” set out in the Juries (Northern Ireland) Order 1980, the admissibility and weight of digital evidence are ultimately for the judge and jury to determine. Majority verdicts are permitted after sufficient deliberation, but juries of 12 remain the norm and trials are presumptively by jury. Legal observers say the McNally case will be closely watched for how far jurors are prepared to rely on technical assessments of online content when a defendant’s liberty turns on whether a stream was truly “live”.

The wider stakes: violence against women and girls

Ms McNally’s killing occurred amid persistent concern across the UK and globally about gender‑based violence, most often perpetrated by partners or former partners and frequently committed in the home. UN agencies estimate that in 2023 an average of 140 women and girls were killed each day by intimate partners or family members worldwide, while UK monitoring has repeatedly found that women are most likely to be killed by a current or former partner.

Official figures in Northern Ireland show domestic‑abuse homicides remain a small but stubborn share of overall violence; for the year ending March 31, 2025, six domestic‑abuse homicides were recorded, all of them female. Campaigners and authorities say better early‑warning systems, survivor support, and evidence‑led policing — including robust handling of digital trails such as messages, location data and online posts — are critical to prevention and prosecution. For legislators and criminal‑justice agencies, the case underscores how rapidly evolving online behaviour is colliding with efforts to detect, deter and punish violence against women and girls.

What has happened procedurally

McCullagh, from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim, was first arrested on the night of the murder, when he told police he had been at home hosting the stream. He was rearrested on January 31, 2023, and charged at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court on February 2, 2023, after admitting the broadcast was pre‑recorded. He has been denied bail in prior proceedings and continues to contest the charge, which carries a mandatory life sentence on conviction.

Status: The jury at Belfast Crown Court remains empanelled and the trial continues, with further expert and factual evidence expected before the panel is asked to reach a verdict.

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Entertainment

Michael Flatley Regains Control of Lord of the Dance as Injunction Lifted Ahead of 30th Anniversary Tour

by Elena Rossi
written by Elena Rossi

BELFAST – Michael Flatley is set to resume control of Lord of the Dance after the Chancery Court in Belfast lifted a temporary injunction that had barred him from any involvement in the production’s upcoming 30th anniversary tour.

Mr Justice Simpson delivered judgment on Thursday, January 29, 2026, following a civil case application in which “trenchant and quite personal” allegations were made on both sides, the court heard. The judge ordered the injunction lifted, citing the risk that continued restrictions could lead to “potentially unquantifiable” financial losses.

The ruling clears a governance and control question for a major international touring property weeks before the tour’s next operational phase, including a planned anniversary run in Dublin in February 2026.

Injunction lifted amid disputed facts and touring exposure

Mr Justice Simpson said there were “hotly disputed issues of fact” aired during the proceedings that could not be resolved in a civil setting. Those issues, he said, are matters for a trial in the future, under the principles that govern interim relief in the courts of Northern Ireland, which apply a modified version of the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 and associated case law to balance convenience and potential harm when deciding whether to maintain an injunction.

The civil dispute centred on a temporary injunction granted earlier in January 2026 to Switzer Consulting Ltd that blocked Flatley’s involvement in the planned worldwide tour. Switzer sued the 67-year-old for alleged breach of contract.

According to the court, the temporary injunction was first filed by Switzer director Joe Gallagher on January 12, 2026. Gallagher, described during the hearing as “the face of Switzer,” applied to block Flatley from “cancelling, postponing, or in any way interfering” with Lord of the Dance, including forbidding him to “contact promoters or venues,” Mr Justice Simpson said.

Switzer’s barrister, Gary McHugh, told the court on Wednesday, January 28, 2026: “The Dublin show is good to go. But it’s the effect which Mr Flatley’s interference and conduct may have on shows down the line which essentially prompts this application.”

The court was told that 268 performances have been booked across Europe and North America in what was described as a “global venture.” In evidence, both sides emphasised that even short-term legal uncertainty over who was entitled to give instructions on behalf of the show could trigger venue jitters, insurance questions and potential renegotiation of promoter contracts.

Contract structure and royalties in focus

Two years ago, the parties struck a formal service agreement that allowed Switzer to run the shows, according to the court. Under that structure, Switzer took day-to-day responsibility for tour operations while Flatley, as creator and lead rights holder, retained a central intellectual property and branding role.

Financial arrangements were also referenced in the proceedings. The court heard Flatley has received nearly £430,000 in royalties in a 15-month period after the July 2024 agreement was signed, a flow of revenue that lawyers for both sides acknowledged depended on the show’s continuous ability to trade and fulfil bookings.

In touring, clarity over decision-making authority-who can approve changes, communicate with venues, and represent the production to promoters-can determine whether a multi-territory schedule holds together. A temporary injunction restricting contact and operational involvement can have immediate effects on contracting, venue relations, and delivery confidence across a long itinerary, particularly when shows are already booked and marketed. Industry lawyers say such interim orders, while common in commercial disputes, are increasingly scrutinised for their knock-on impact on workers, suppliers and audiences when large-scale live events are involved.

Flatley: “Yes, 100 per cent”

Speaking outside court after the judgment, Flatley described the outcome as a “fantastic victory.” Asked if he was back in control of the production, he said: “Yes, 100 per cent”.

“I won’t be in the car 10 seconds and I’ll be calling all my dancers, all of the cast and crew,” Mr Flatley told reporters.
“All their families have flown in and we’re going to lift the roof on Thursday.
“This will be the greatest version of this show that you will ever see.
“I’m absolutely delighted.”

He added that his immediate priority was to reassure performers, technical staff and venue partners that the tour would continue as scheduled.

Affidavits, allegations and next legal steps

In an affidavit giving an address in Monaco, Flatley rejected Switzer’s depiction of his character and financial reputation, the court heard.

Allegations were made about the retired performer’s “difficult financial history.” Flatley’s former financial adviser, Des Walshe, claimed his ex-client had been living the lifestyle of a Monaco millionaire “without the funds to do so” since 2019, the court heard.

The court was told Flatley had borrowed €75,000 to pay for his own birthday party. “In the bluntest terms, he was faking it on a multimillion euro scale,” Walshe wrote in a letter to Flatley’s solicitor in Dublin in December 2025, according to the proceedings.

Flatley’s barrister rejected claims that Flatley “was a poor manager of his own affairs and was a man with substantial debts.” The court also heard that “ad hominem attacks” had been made on his character, which the judge indicated would be a matter for determination, if at all, at a full trial rather than at the interim stage.

The court’s order lifts the temporary injunction blocking Flatley from participation, while the judge indicated the disputed factual issues are for a future trial; the tour remains booked, including 268 performances across Europe and North America, and the Dublin anniversary run is scheduled to proceed. For now, the decision restores operational control to the creator of one of the world’s best-known dance franchises, while leaving the underlying commercial dispute to work its way through the civil courts. As the industry watches, the case is also likely to feed into ongoing debate over how far interim court orders should reach into the management of high-value cultural assets, from touring shows to other intellectual property-driven ventures such as major music catalogues and sports entertainment, where governance questions increasingly intersect with contract law and commercial risk.

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