Stephen McCullagh, 36, was sentenced for the murder of Natalie McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death in December 2022 at her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. During a sentencing hearing, the court described the nature of McCullagh's crime as 'callous, wicked, and cruel.' Although he has not admitted to the murder, he referred to himself as 'a monster' in a pre-sentence report. McCullagh created a false alibi to disguise his actions and subsequently manipulated the trust of McNally's grieving family for six weeks following the murder. The trial judge, Mr. Justice Kinney, previously imposed a life sentence on McCullagh in March, and the first of two hearings to determine the minimum period he must serve in prison took place on Thursday. This minimum sentence will be finalized at a hearing scheduled for June 3, 2023, where aggravating and mitigating factors, along with precedents, will be discussed to shape the final decision.