Stephen “Votesaxon07” McCullagh, a YouTuber who primarily engages with science fiction entertainment (like Battlebots toys and Star Wars sets), was convicted of murdering his 32-year-old girlfriend who was 15 weeks pregnant with a baby boy in December 2022.
According to the BBC, McCullagh–who was on trial for more than four weeks–appeared in a Belfast court in Northern Ireland on March 23. After just over two hours of deliberations, the jurors returned to deliver a guilty verdict, with McCullagh facing a potential life sentence, according to the presiding judge.
During the trial, the jurors learned exactly how McCullagh committed the crime. On December 18, 2022, he went “live” with a six-hour Grand Theft Auto broadcast. However, the livestream was a ruse, and McCullagh–who reportedly admitted in a written statement to police–used the pre-recorded livestream to show up at his then-girlfriend Natalie McNally’s Lurgan house in disguise to beat, strangle, and stab her before taking a cab home to call 999 on December 19.
According to the Independent, the pre-recorded livestream, which included GTA and Robot Wars, was prepped four days before the killing took place. Barrister Charles MacCreanor KC said that McCullagh not only lied to people, but also appeared at McNally’s wake, where the family brought him in for consolation and support.
“[McCullagh’s] claim that between 6 p.m. and midnight he was going live was a complete fabrication,” MacCreanor KC said. “He repeatedly and to different people lied that he was doing a live show.”
Addressing the expressionless McCullagh in court, the presiding judge, Justice Kinney said that a “date will be set for the setting of a minimum tariff.” According to the UK’s Sentencing Council, a “minimum tariff” depends on the age and circumstances, with adults facing 15 to 30 years in prison. McCullagh is 36 years old, and the tariff hearing is currently set for May 15.
