Five cases before Northern Ireland’s courts this past week

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

Five cases heard before Northern Ireland courts this week, March 23-27.

1. The partner of a pregnant woman was found guilty of her murder this week. Natalie McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was violently attacked and killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022. Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens, Lisburn, was convicted on Monday by a jury during the fifth week of the trial at Belfast Crown Court. The jury of six men and six women reached their verdict after two hours of deliberations. McCullagh stood without expression in the dock between prison staff as the verdict was read out.
2. A sentenced Co Antrim prisoner who tried to hijack two cars in Belfast city centre was handed a 50 month jail sentence on Thursday. Andrew Bradley Spence, 23, of Madigan Park, Carrickfergus, had previously pleaded guilty to two attempted hijackings, two counts of criminal damage and one of possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence. In a pre-sentence report, Spence told a probation officer that he accepted his guilt over the incidents and said he was “sickened over his behaviour”, adding that he was “out of my head on alcohol and drugs”
3. Two new medical reports relating to Lady Eleanor Donaldson have been submitted to court, a judge said this week. The trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife on charges relating to alleged historical sexual offences has been delayed twice because of her medical issues. Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences. The charges include one count of rape as well as allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a time period between 1985 and 2008, involving two alleged victims. Eleanor Donaldson, 59, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, is facing charges of aiding and abetting, which she denies. A new trial date of May 26 has been set. At a brief update hearing at Newry Crown Court on Friday, Judge Paul Ramsey said the court has received two further medical reports on Eleanor Donaldson. Judge Ramsey said he would review the matter again on May 5, saying: “That will give us a clear three weeks before the trial.”
4. Meanwhile a senior judge has set a new trial date for a Co Antrim man accused of the murder of Chloe Mitchell almost three years ago. Brandon John Rainey’s previous legal team walked away from the case a fortnight ago stating that they had been “professionally compromised” and said the defendant had told them that he no longer wished them to represent him. A new legal team came on record in the case last week. Rainey, 29, of James Street, Ballymena, is currently awaiting trial and denies murdering the 21-year-old on June 3, 2023, and preventing the lawful burial of her remains. At Belfast Crown Court on Friday, Madam Justice McBride confirmed that the trial would commence on Tuesday, April 28.
5. And finally a man appeared in court this past week charged with the murder of mother-of-two Amy Doherty in Derry. Connor McNamee, 30, of Summer Meadow Mews in Derry, was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon, a kitchen knife, and possession of a class A controlled drug, cocaine. Court papers said the murder charge was aggravated by reason of involving domestic abuse. He appeared at Derry Magistrates’ Court on Friday via videolink. There was no application for bail and he was remanded in custody until April 23.

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