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Family photo
Natalie McNally was among 30 women who have died violently in Northern Ireland since 2020
The father of Natalie McNally said he has not gotten over allowing her murderer to be left alone with her during her wake.
Natalie, who was 32 and 15 weeks pregnant, was stabbed and beaten to death at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December 2022.
Stephen McCullagh, the father of her unborn child, was convicted of her murder earlier this week.
Noel McNally said the night before the funeral, the family welcomed McCullagh in, believing he was a grieving partner and father, but in hindsight had "left him with our lovely daughter who he brutally murdered".
Speaking to BBC News NI about the days following the 32-year-old's murder, Noel said McCullagh arrived on the night of Christmas Day to pay his respects to Natalie.
"We brought him in and he told us the whole story about how he found Natalie... we felt so sorry for him," he said.
"We thought he was a grieving father and everyone moved out of the wake room and left him on his own with Natalie for about 20 minutes, half an hour.
"It was terrible to think... that we left him with our lovely daughter who he brutally murdered."
Noel said that the family still have not gotten over allowing him alone with their daughter.
"You feel so guilty sometimes, you know, how did we fall for it? How did we fall for how he could have done that to us."
Family handout
Natalie was a big sports fan and regular attended matches with her dad, Noel
Natalie's mother, Bernie, said one of her son's brought McCullagh to his victim's grave.
"To this day, I don't think Declan will get over that. He feels so guilty about that.
"It's not Declan's fault. He was looking after him."
Bernie said that the family spoke about their guilt in how McCullagh was "on his own" in the days and weeks following Natalie's murder.
"We've got each other, we've got the whole family here," Bernie added.
Noel said: "He had nobody and we were bringing him here and bringing him dinner and giving him food to take home."
Family photo
Natalie was very close to her parents, Bernie and Noel
During McCullagh's visits to the McNally family home, there was "no sense" of feeling that he was behind Natalie's murder.
"He was just such a good actor," Bernie said.
"When you look back at some of the things he was saying and doing... he never, ever let his guard down."
Bernie recalled how McCullagh would tell her how he found Natalie, believing that the ordeal had left him "traumatised".
"He was just taking pleasure out of telling us, it was so horrific," she said.
"I have to say, to me, he was enjoying it, he was watching, he was sitting there telling us.
"Why would you otherwise that's what I was saying to myself at the time: 'Why is he telling me this?' He must be traumatised."
