Natalie McNally’s killer doesn’t deserve to be called a person and is instead an “absolute monster”, her brother has said.
Niall McNally added he and his family would not rest until her killer faced justice.
He told the Mirror: “He’s just an absolute monster, he’s not a person.
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“I’ve seen the good in people throughout this last month.
“I wouldn’t want to label him with the same people who have been amazing, coming out with messages of support, sharing the police appeal and CCTV and trying to keep the word out there.
“He’s just an absolute monster and how could anyone do that to not only a person, but our Natalie, who you couldn’t say a bad word about.”
The 32-year-old, who was 15 weeks pregnant, was fatally stabbed on the night of Sunday, December 18 in her home in Silverwood Green in Lurgan.
Her family said that she would have called her baby Dean if it was a boy – sadly she died just days before an ultrasound appointment, which would have confirmed that, with her family naming the baby Dean as she would have wished.
One month on from her killing, Niall said they were still grieving, but also focused on securing justice.
“It would mean the world, it won’t bring Natalie back but it’ll make things just that wee bit easier, that that person’s off the street,” he said.
“Not just for us, but for everybody in this community – everybody’s scared.
“People have been messaging me saying, ‘I can’t sleep at night’ and everyone just wants to go back to feeling safe, and getting this monster off the street would help.”
Niall acknowledged that the news coverage of the murder investigation has been extensive and he was asked to reveal a little bit more about beautiful Natalie, so that she might be known as more than just a victim of a senseless killing.
“She was a brilliant person, always happy. I’ve never seen her sad,” Niall said.
“She was always upbeat about life and everything – she loved going to concerts, The Killers being number one. She texted me a couple of days before she passed, did I want to go with her to the Killers when they were playing in September.
“She wanted to bring mum and dad too, because she loved them and she wanted to bring them.”
Outside of music, Natalie had a great love for sport, for her work, her activism and for animals.
“She was over with us at Everton for our dad’s 60th and she said it was brilliant and she’d never seen anything like it,” Niall said.
“And we obviously went to the Armagh matches all over the summers and throughout our youth.
“She loved her job. She worked with Translink in marketing. She was office-based but she got out into the community too to talk to people and was always coming back and telling us who she’d been talking to and who she’d helped.
“She was very, very into her activism, more so her women’s rights.
“When they had the referendum down south for the abortion laws, she was always sharing that and helping out with that and when it passed, she went down to Dublin and celebrated in the rally and all.
“She was very active in trying to get it for up here and thankfully they did at the end, she was just always into everything.”
For Natalie’s parents, the process of grieving continues and Niall said it has been a heavy burden for them to bear, adding: “They’re obviously very much heartbroken, more than anybody.
“They’ve been robbed of their only daughter and their first grandchild as well, which is hard to believe you would be saying that the week before Christmas. Christmas will probably never be the same for them again. Life will never be the same for them again.
“A grandchild, a cousin, a nephew as well – my mum was going to buy a pram to bring the baby around Craigavon lakes every day. They were so excited. We were all looking forward to it and it’s just been robbed from us now, which is heart-breaking.”
Niall also said while he understood people’s desire to help, the family was sometimes powerless to stop speculation online about Natalie’s death.
“The rumours, there’s nothing we can do to stop them,” he said. “Some of the rumours, they’re just not right. I don’t feel badly against them in any way for saying them.
“It’s just they think they’re helping, but sometimes it doesn’t.”
The family’s resolve to see Natalie’s killer behind bars has been strengthened by the support they have received from the community and further afield.
They have also been greatly reassured by the efforts of the PSNI to catch the killer and the family had full faith that they would.
“Obviously we’re missing Natalie very much. It’s been hard on us what happened,” Niall said.
“It’s been quick and slow. It feels like everyday goes by instantly, but in a way it feels like it’s been 10 years since it happened.
“But we’re just fighting on. The fight now for justice is keeping us going through this month and we’ll continue until we get there.”
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