A derogation was granted to allow the continuation of some trials, including that of Stephen McCullagh who was jailed for 31 years for the 2022 murder of Natalie McNally.

Following his initial arrest, McCullagh was later released from police custody

YouTuber Stephen McCullagh was convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend - and broadcast his savage assault

Stephen McCullagh gave no reaction as he was told he must serve 31 years before he can be considered eligible for release by the Parole Board for the murder of his pregnant partner Natalie McNally

Catherine Kierans, assistant director in the PPS in charge of the serious crime unit, said: “I have been a lawyer for 27 years. I’ve never seen a case like this in terms of domestic murder"

The 32-year-old had been 15 weeks pregnant when she was subjected to a violent attack and murdered at her home

Stephen McCullagh was sentenced on Wednesday for the murder of his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally

The 32-year-old had been 15 weeks pregnant when she was subjected to a violent attack and murdered at her home in Lurgan

Trial judge Mr Justice Kinney is expected deliver the sentence tariff later today.

McCullagh reportedly stated he “wants to be part of the solution” and “to be a mentor for other men”,

Here is your latest round up of cases heard at court from March 23-27

Gavin Robinson made the comments as the issue dominated political discussions this week

The father of Natalie McNally also said no sentence would ever be long enough and that Stephen McCullagh will "always be a danger"

"With regards to our ability to deal with these sorts of cases, where there is such life-changing harm to individuals, I am significantly concerned about our capacity."

Depraved murderer McCullagh was pictured at the rally almost six weeks to the day after he murdered his pregnant partner Natalie McNally in her Lurgan home

Stephen McCullagh, 36, was on Monday convicted of Natalie's murder

The account was taken down overnight

Ms McNally’s family and friends filled the public gallery behind the dock and cheered after the verdict was announced.

It was an alibi in the virtual world of gaming that he must have hoped would be beyond the comprehension of most, however, it was debunked by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s cyber crime unit

Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was violently attacked and killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022

The jury of six men and six women reached their verdict after two hours of deliberations

Judge Mr Justice Patrick Kinney finished delivering his charge to the jury on Monday morning.

The judge said there had been a considerable amount of evidence in the case about Ms McNally’s former partner, but reminded the jury that he is not the defendant and should not be the focus of their deliberations

Reminding the jury that at this point McCullagh was "an innocent man unless or until you find otherwise", Mr Kearney said the real issue was the identity of the killer

He said: "When you come to this critically important decision on the identity of the killer, if you think he probably is the killer: not enough. If you are almost sure he is the killer: not enough."

Mr MacCreanor told the jury if McCullagh had an innocent explanation for his actions, they would have heard it

The trial was told that there were messages exchanged on almost every day of the relationship

When C asked Ms McNally about her partner, she said 'seeing a good bit of each other. There's nothing wrong with him, I'm just feeling a bit uneasy.'

The woman told police that on the night Ms McNally was murdered, she and her partner had spend the evening together in his flat and that he fell asleep watching the World Cup Final on TV

The man, who cannot be named also denied that he had injured his hands on the night Natalie was murdered