Ciaran Dunbar

This is a day that they have waited now for three and a half years.

So for this to finally happen after he was handed the life sentence in March, I'm sure that they wanted to hear every single thing that the judge said.

um you know what was saying and ultimately deciding you know in regards to the fate of mccullough but in terms of their reaction they just were very they were very stoic they were very calm they sort of you know they they took it all in after mccullough was sentenced and he was led away and you know the you know justice kenny you know asked him to be you know sent down uh as soon as the the door closed um and he was taken out of the courtroom there was there was hugs and there was you know there was

a breadth of emotions, particularly as well.

We saw the full scale of those emotions outside the court shortly after the case had ended in which they gave a press conference.

And, you know, her brothers, you know, they had tears in their eyes and her father, you know, gave a very brief short statement, which was very impactful and very, very emotional.

And you could see the toll that this has taken on all of them, particularly on their faces.

Well, let's listen to that statement now.

Yeah, there was a lot of detail in the sentencing remarks because, you know, as I'm sure everybody that has followed this case, this was not...

a, you know, this was not a simplistic murder.

This was a cold and calculated concerted effort by Stephen McCullough to take the life of Natalie McNally and her unborn child.

And the judge really had to go through all of those concerted efforts, efforts that were implemented by McCullough.

And that included

You know, the lengths that he went to to conceal, you know, the fact that the live stream on YouTube, you know, was faked, the evidence that he gave police, you know, the no comment interviews, you know, his complete lack of remorse, you know, when eventually he was charged.

And there was also as well that...

particularly, you know, and rightfully so, there was a large focus on in which the method in which Natalie died.

I mean, I think the fact that, you know, a pathologist couldn't actually determine what caused her death because of the extensive and brutal nature of her injuries.

It wasn't, you know, that was really pointed to by the judge, you know, these graphic injuries.

There was particular reference as well.

And I know that it's an extremely graphic detail, but