The BelTel

Top civil servants had debated whether to effectively admit that Bloody Sunday was not as Lord Widgery's whitewash had claimed.  Documents uncovered in the formerly secret Kew Files reveal much debate among officials as to how they should deal with the legacy of the 14 deaths against the backdrop of the nascent peace process.   In one of these files is a heartfelt handwritten letter to the Prime Minister, John Major; it is a plea for justice.  It was written by Kathleen Kelly, mother of Michael Kelly, who died after being shot by Paratrooper Soldier F.    Ciarán Dunbar is joined by our Northern Ireland editor, Sam McBride.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The murder of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel remains one of the most disturbing crimes in Irish history. In May 2018, Ana was lured from her home by a local boy. Three days later, her body was found in a derelict house – naked and violently assaulted.Two boys, just 13 years old at the time of the killing, were the youngest in the State to be tried, and convicted, of murder. Eight years on, Irish Independent court reporter Eimear Cotter reflects on the horrific murder of Ana Kriegel and the public outrage that followed.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years ago, the DUP was in largest party in Northern Ireland, lurched to open civil war. The party had been led by Ian Paisley for 37 years – but an unprecedented outbreak of factional politics saw three different leaders in just 50 days.  The middle one, Edwin Poots, lasted a total of just 33 days. To explain the background to the DUP’s woes and their long-term effect, Ciarán Dunbar joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s political editor, Suzanne Breen  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An access hatch on the inlet to a culvert in which Noah Donohoe was found should have been locked six months previously, an inquest into his death has heard. But the jury also heard the storm drain was in good condition and had no history of unauthorised accessThe 14-year-old’s body was discovered in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he went missing. A post-mortem examination found the likely cause of death was drowning. The inquest into his death, which is being heard before a jury, is now in its 14th week.  Liam Tunney reports.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a very senior, well-paid civil servant, working in the higher echelons of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Only a handful of officials work at that level and with every one of these individuals we are entitled to know who they are, what they do and what they are paid – but not when it comes to one man. Or is it a woman? We don’t know. The Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride has discovered a top-mandarin that we know nothing about - a secret civil servant. The taxpayer is not allowed to know what they do, not allowed to know how much they are paid and not even allowed to know what their name is.  Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar on the BelTel to explain this bizarre story.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinn Féin are still top of the polls north and south – but all polls show the party has lost ground. Many commentators think Sinn Féin have lost their direction and sense of purpose. So - has Sinn Féin really lost its mojo and what can it do about it?   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by politics lecturer and commentator David McCann to discuss what Sinn Féin will have to do to hold its ground ahead of the 2027 Northern Ireland Assembly elections.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A report has lambasted ‘institutional misogyny’ in PSNI over failings in the Katie Simpson murder investigation. Police officers on the case were responsible for a catalogue of basic failures including not preserving evidence, missing forensic opportunities, dismissing key witness statements, failing to secure phones or even photographing her injuries. 21-year-old Katie from Tynan, Co Armagh, died almost a week after an incident in Lettershandoney. Police originally thought she had taken her own life. But a year later, Jonathan Creswell was arrested. Creswell’s trial ended in April 2024 after he took his own life following the first day of proceedings. The Belfast Telegraph’s Crime Correspondent, Allison Morris, joins Ciarán Dunbar.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1990s, DUP leader Ian Paisley railed against the peace process, denouncing it as a sellout. But newly declassified documents reveal that some of his lieutenants, including Gregory Campbell, held in fact much more moderate views that those they professed publicly. East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has always presented himself as a hardliner who has long been known for tough rhetoric and even gratuitous insults. But formerly secret files from the UK’s archive in Kew have revealed a different side to him and that he and other senior DUP figures were keen to play a part in the peace talks, with NIO officials regarding them as key DUP moderates. The Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor, Sam McBride, joins Ciarán Dunbar.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a bonus episode of In Good Company with Cathy Martin, The Belfast Telegraph's new business and lifestyle podcast. Conor Ferguson is an Olympic swimmer who’s faced heartbreak by the narrowest of margins – missing out on the 2016 Rio Olympics by five hundredths of a second, and Tokyo in 2020 by four tenths.  But rather than stepping away, he’s turned what some might perceive as adversity into innovation, now co-founding Athlete Hub – a tech startup using AI to help athletes optimise every part of their performance.   If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to keep up with In Good Company, releasing every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/podcast-series/in-good-company/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Holmes was born as Cecilia McKitterick in Castlederg, County Tyrone. After leaving Northern Ireland when she was 19, she eventually settled in Texas, where she started her career as a scam artist - using more than 40 names to dupe her targets into handing over huge sums of money. She posed as countless aliases, including a minister and a psychologist. After being deported home for her crimes, she continued her scams, until she was found dead in 2015 alongside her partner, in what appeared as a suicide pact. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Gillian Halliday.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe, which is being heard before a jury, has now heard 13 weeks of evidence. The 14-year-old’s body was discovered in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he went missing as he cycled to meet friends.  On Monday, the jury heard from Daryl Paul, the thief convicted of stealing Noah Donohoe’s laptop.  Under cross-examination he denied an image of a hand found on the schoolboy’s phone belonged to him.  Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dissident republican bombers have struck twice in recent weeks. On Saturday a bomb exploded at Dunmurry PSNI station in Belfast. The bombers used an almost identical method to those who tried to attack Lurgan police station last month. In both attacks a delivery driver was hijacked, threatened, and told to drive the bomb to its target. These attacks, claimed by the New IRA, came after a lull in violence– so what has sparked this outbreak? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph security correspondent, Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we know that Stakeknife existed, and that he was Freddie Scappaticci.  We know that Scappaticci, at the top of the IRA unit hunting informers was himself an informer for British security forces. But prior to the story being brought to light by journalist Liam Clarke, then at the Sunday Times, the public, and indeed the IRA, had no idea.  There was a clear public interest in the story, but when it began to emerge M15 and MI6 went to great lengths to try to keep a lid on it – and were worried about another story Clarke was investigating, which involved Martin McGuinness. Formerly secret ‘Kew Files’ reveal their motivations.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor, Sam McBride.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stormont, through Invest NI, is funding a CIA-linked firm whose secretive and powerful tech is being used by Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown force - ICE  Software developed in Belfast by Nisos, a company founded by former intelligence operatives, is now being used by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. A former Nisos employee says few people understand the significance of what’s involved, but “it’s like handing a toddler a loaded gun”. Invest NI, is an agency under Sinn Féin Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald’s department – she ordered officials to look into the funding.  The Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Noah Donohoe inquest has been hearing evidence from Daryl Paul – the man convicted of stealing the teenager’s rucksack. It had earlier heard in evidence from Maria Nolan that claims the teenager had been attacked were based on “rumour and speculation”.  Earlier this week, the inquest heard that PSNI officers searching for Noah “never” thought they would find the schoolboy in the storm drain tunnel where his naked body was eventually discovered.  Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A majority of those polled in from the latest Belfast Telegraph / Lucidtalk polling believe that Gerry Adams was a member of the IRA.  The former Sinn Féin leader has always denied being a member of the organisation.  However, the overwhelming majority of people across the political spectrum say the matter has no impact on how they would vote.  Sinn Féin remain as the most popular party, despite First Minister Michelle O’Neill’s personal popularity dropping.  And over 60% don’t want US President Trump to visit – but unionists and nationalists sharply disagree on the Donald.   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Political Editor Suzanne Breen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a lone Garda decided to arrest a squad of SAS men found in the Republic of Ireland on 1976, little did he know he had sparked an international incident which would involve the Taoiseach and Prime Minister – or that it would see the Irish government interfere with the justice system. Top secret files have revealed how the PM drew up a law to let two SAS men go on the run from the Irish but that in fact Dublin was determined that the soldiers would never do time. Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride discovered the file at the National Archives in Kew, London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The chief and only suspect in a Belfast satanic-style murder of a 10-year-old schoolboy is maintaining his innocence. Billy McDermott says he did not kill his little brother Brian. Brian McDermott’s dismembered remains were found in the River Lagan in 1973. Now living in England, Billy McDermott says his life has been ruined by accusations over the notorious murder of his sibling.  The Sunday Life’s Angela Davison travelled to Liverpool to put the accusations to McDermott - she has also spoken to other members of the family.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The jury at the inquest on the death of Noah Donohoe has now heard an 11th week of evidence. Noah had been missing for six days after leaving his home in south Belfast before his body was discovered in a north Belfast culvert. On Monday, an expert witness said it is likely that the 14-year-old died close to midnight on the day he went missing, as the tide rose in the culvert. A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was likely to be drowning. On Thursday, the jury heard members of the public present at the search ‘were angry at police’ as ‘conspiracy theories’ were ‘floating about’. Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerry Adams features heavily in now declassified documents and reveal that the British considered him, along with Martin McGuinness, to be the leaders of republicanism.  Mr Adams denies ever being a member of the IRA, but a formerly secret document includes a claim that he was re-elected to the Army Council in 1996.  Another document records a former IRA man, then a member of the Workers Party telling the Government that he was told by Adams in Long Kesh that he would be prepared ‘to wade up to my knees in Protestant blood to a united Ireland’ - something Adams says he never said or believed.  The Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor, Sam McBride, joins Ciarán Dunbar on the BelTel.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rory McIlroy has joined Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in the exclusive club of men who have won the Masters back-to-back. At Augusta National on Sunday night the co. Down man produced an assured performance to win by a single shot.Can Northern Ireland’s most famous son add more majors to his CV and where does he rank in the grand pantheon of golfing greats?Keith Bailie is joined by Belfast Telegraph Chief Sportswriter Steven Beacom and Chief Audience Editor Gareth Hanna. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a spring morning in June 2001 an eight-year-old girl gathers moss for her grandmother’s hanging baskets in a forest near Ballinamore in Co Leitrim. The child lets out a scream, she had discovered a body.  The remains belonged to Enniskillen businessman, Gerry McGinley and it was clear that he been murdered.  He had been killed by his own wife Julie and her lover, in fact they were already in custody over it.  But it wasn’t a simple tale of adultery. It involved hotel sex with strangers, lies, blackmail and videotape – and included many prominent people in Fermanagh.  Andrew Madden researched this sordid story for the Belfast Telegraph.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 years on from the violent killing of publican Tom Nevin, part two of this special podcast looks at how Nevin's wife, Catherine Nevin, emerged as the prime suspect; the murder trial and media blitz that followed; and why Ireland’s ‘Black Widow’ still fascinates us to this day.  Host: Fionnán Sheahan  Guest: Mary Wilson   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thirty years ago, Wicklow publican Tom Nevin was shot dead as he counted the takings following a busy day at Jack White’s Inn. Initially, the incident appeared to be a robbery gone wrong, but grieving wife Catherine Nevin would eventually emerge as the prime suspect and later come to be known as ‘The Black Widow’. On the first of a two-part special, we look back at how one of Ireland’s most famous criminals came into the spotlight. Host: Fionnán Sheahan Guest: Mary Wilson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roger Casement was hanged in August 1916 for treason against the Crown. Formerly Sir Roger, his assistance to Germany during the First World Ward was undeniable and from a British point of view he was a traitor.  From from an Irish nationalist point of view, he was a rebel and a hero who now took his place in history among the martyrs of republicanism and the leader of the 1916 Rising.   No knight of the realm had faced treason charges for centuries, let alone be executed. His story was without precedent.  A Protestant Anglo-Irish man who had been a loyal servant of the British empire, he had exposed horrific abuses of indigenous people in Africa and South America. But he then came to believe Ireland urgently needed to free itself of Britain.  Who was this complex individual and how did he end up being killed by the state he had served?    Casement is a subject of a new book – A Rebel And A Traitor – by Rory Carroll, the Guardian's Ireland correspondent.  He joined Sam McBride on the BelTel.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belfast poet, Sinéad Morrisey, was brought up in a Communist family. Hers was a childhood lived in the little world created by the party, a world apart from others and from the Troubles.  It involved smoke-filled rooms, endless meetings, and dreams of a future utopia – coupled with a belief that east of the Iron Curtain, there were people already living in it.   The fall of Communism in the eastern block was more than an historical event for her family – it was the end of a dream and of a way of life.  Sinéad Morrisey’s new memoir is called ‘Among Communists’. She joined Ciarán Dunbar to explain the book and her story.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Members of the jury in the Noah Donohoe inquest have been asked to indicate their availability for the month of May.  The inquest officially began on the 19th of January and was expected to finish up in mid-March.  Fourteen-year-old Noah’s body was discovered in north Belfast on the 27 of June 2020 - six days after he had gone missing.   This week an anonymous witness at the inquest denied being the caller who informed police that Daryl Paul had been trying to sell Noah Donohoe’s laptop.  Liam Tunney has been covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was supposed to be an oral record of the Troubles, made by the paramilitaries, and initially the ‘Boston Tapes’ project seemed like a really good idea, albeit one which would include descriptions of violence and terror. The concept was simple – former paramilitaries would be interviewed, the tapes would then be kept in storage, and their stories only revealed after the interviewee’s deaths. But it became clear that the scheme was flawed and that the recordings were not as secret as participants assumed.Now the Belfast Telegraph can reveal that the Boston College tapes archive has been formally closed - and will remain so for 75 years from when it was first createdWhat was the Boston Tapes project?What went wrong?And why have the records been sealed?Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter, Andrew Madden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murderer Stephen McCullagh has been aptly described as “a monster hiding in plain sight”.A week on from his conviction there has been a lot of reaction to the the nerd-culture YouTuber’s conviction of murdering Natalie McNally.He denied the killing, but the jury unanimously found him guilty in a matter of hours. He has yet to be given his tariff, but Natalie’s family says he should never be let out. They say he is simply “too dangerous to let out on the street”.Meanwhile, the Sunday Life has revealed that a film made by McCullagh as a student chillingly foretold the murder and how he pretended to be one of our journalists to find out what evidence the cops had on him. The Sunday Life’s Angela Davison joins Ciarán Dunbar with some of the stories which could not be told whilst the trial was ongoing and what has emerged since McCullagh’s conviction.This podcast was amended at 10:00 am on Monday 30th March in order to correct an error. A previous version mentioned in the podcast intro that 'McNally' made a video whilst a student, when it should have said 'McCullagh' made a video as a student. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The jury at the inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe has now heard nine weeks of evidence – the process could last until May.  This week they heard more on how police dealt with CCTV footage of the missing teenager and how his school books were found in a Belfast flat.  A police officer also revealed that he was briefed before he spoke to the inquest. Liam Tunney is covering the Noah Donohoe inquest for the Belfast Telegraph. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘How I stumbled on Stormont’s new policy of extreme censorship - which means we’ll understand NI’s past less fully’.   That was the stark headline on a recent comment piece from my colleague Sam McBride – the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor.   He discovered the unannounced policy whilst exploring declassified files in London - a policy which has been used to cover-up official attitudes to the Famine.   Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar to explain the story behind the headline.Stormont’s extreme censorship of Famine remarks – and how we unravelled it Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen McCullagh has been found guilty of murdering Lurgan woman Natalie McNally.  The jury unanimously convicted 36-year-old McCullagh, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, of killing the 32-year-old mother to be in December 2022.  The four-week trial heard how McCullagh murdered Ms McNally after setting up a “false alibi” that he was livestreaming a video gaming session on YouTube. McCullagh has been given a life-sentence.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Allison Morris, who was following the trial in court.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IRA leader Rory O’Connor was once a close comrade of fellow republican Michael Collins and Kevin O’Higgins - indeed he was O’Higgins best man.   But just over a year later after the wedding, O’Higgins signed his friend’s death warrant.    O’Connor’s execution along with Liam Mellows, Dick Barrett and Joe McKelvey, added to the bitterness of Ireland’s civil war and made O’Connor a republican martyr, albeit a forgotten one.   In ‘To defend the Republic’, the first biography of O’Connor’s life, historian Gerard Shannon tells the story of this enigmatic IRA figure.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UPDATE: Victims drop High Court claim against Gerry Adams over IRA bombingsFor decades, Gerry Adams has denied being a member of the Provisional IRA. Now, for the first time, that claim is being challenged in an English courtroom. Three men, all victims of separate IRA bombings, have taken civil action against the former Sinn Féin leader for the symbolic sum of £1 in damages.  Host: Tessa Fleming, Guests: Kurtis Reid, John Downing.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The man accused of murdering Natalie McNally “lied and lied again”, a barrister has told Belfast Crown Court.  Delivering his closing statement in the case, prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor KC reminded the jury that the accused Stephen McCullagh had chosen not to give evidence to his trial. However, defence barrister John Kearney KC said the case against Stephen McCullagh is “dependent upon circumstantial evidence”. There are “troubling” aspects of the prosecution case against the man accused of murdering Natalie McNally that point “towards some other killer”, he said. 36-year-old McCullagh denies killing Natalie McNally (32), who was found dead at her home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022. The Belfast Telegraph’s Crime Correspondent Allison Morris is covering the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A witness says the unusual behaviour exhibited by Noah Donohoe prior to his disappearance could be associated with synthetic cannabinoids or a mental health condition.  The jury at the inquest into the teenager’s death heard evidence from the toxicologists on Wednesday. Noah’s body was discovered in north Belfast on 27 June2020 - six days after the St Malachy’s College student went missing. The inquest is now in its eighth week of hearing evidence. Liam Tunney has been covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time last year, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin was grasping an American-flag emblazoned short straw, playing second fiddle to Conor McGregor as our disgraced UFC representative took the St Patrick’s Day podium. Now that the Taoiseach has been restored to March 17 parity, he has one hell of a job on his hands. What kind of reception awaits him in Donald Trump’s Oval Office next week?  Host: Kevin Doyle Guest: Mary Regan  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serial killer Robert Black is now the subject of Netflix documentary 'Manhunt: The Child Snatcher'. Black was a monster, an abuser and murder of little girls - he was the child snatcher that all parents feared. His first murder victim we can be certain of was nine-year-old Co Antrim child Jennifer Cardy on 12 August 1981.He was convicted of killing four young girls but is suspected of abusing and murdering many, many more.Black died in Maghaberry Prison near Belfast in January 2016. His body was cremated, and his ashes thrown into the sea.Professor Craig Jackson is Professor of Occupational Health Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Birmingham City University. He tells Ciarán Dunbar what makes a serial killer and why we are so interested in them.This podcast was originally released in January 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk has built an encyclopedia which contains countless errors about Northern Ireland and its history. Grokipedia, which was launched in October last year, now has more than six million AI generated articles, but many articles related to Northern Ireland contain major mistakes or are highly misleading. The AI encyclopedia says that Ian Paisleys paramilitary Third Force was operating under Crown authority, it says murder victims the Reavey brothers were linked to the IRA, and that the Bloody Sunday massacre was instigated by the IRA, among many other errors.  Sam McBride joined Olivia Peden.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An ex-partner of Natalie McNally has told a court that he did not kill the Co Armagh woman.  Ms McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18 2022. On his third and final day of evidence, the witness shouted “you killed her” in an angry courtroom outburst at Stephen McCullagh, who stands accused of her murder.  Her partner, Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, denies the murder charge.  Allison Morris is covering the case for the Belfast Telegraph.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A former partner of Natalie McNally was arrested last week on suspicion of making threats to kill a woman he had been seeing at the time of Ms McNally’s death, court has heard. The anonymous ex-boyfriend of Ms McNally told the court he reset his phone to factory settings after learning detectives were at his home in connection with the murder investigation, claiming he did so because he had cannabis in his home. Yesterday while giving evidence after he looked at murder accused Stephen McCullagh and shouted “you killed her”. Allison Morris was in court.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pathologists at the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe have agreed that his cause of death was drowning, with no indication of assault. All three pathologists agreed there was “no positive evidence” of toxicological contribution to Noah’s death, but this could not be excluded because of the limitations on toxicological analysis. Liam Tunney joins Olivia Peden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early hours of December 3, 1995, a small aircraft vanished over the Mediterranean. On board was Belfast-born engineer Desi Boomer, travelling home from Libya’s oil fields to Northern Ireland via Malta. Instead of welcoming him home, Desi’s wife Mandy received a visit from two RUC officers telling her the plane had disappeared. Initially treated as a routine aviation accident, the case of Piper Lance 9H-ABU has since become a long-running mystery, with allegations of negligence, espionage, and claims of hostage taking. Abdullah Sabri speaks to Desi’s brother Mark about dealing with his unexplained loss, unanswered questions, and what he thinks could have happened.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The trial of Stephen McCullagh for the murder of Natalie McNally is continuing at Belfast Crown Court. In court today, a former partner of the murder accused gave evidence. The woman alleged that McCullagh had ‘recorded’ counselling sessions after she had suffered a stillbirth. She also said she withdrew a 2019 police statement relating to an alleged assault by McCullagh.  Natalie McNally was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed at her home on December 18, 2022. Mr McCullagh denies any involvement with the murder. Olivia Peden is joined by Allison Morris.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has concluded its sixth week. Today in court the jury was shown a transcript of anonymous phone call involving man selling schoolboy’s possessions. On Wednesday, Sergeant Hutchings, a leading officer in the search for Noah, faced questions over whether police actions had delayed the identification of the culvert where the teenager was found. Hutchings said He “would’ve done anything" to find the teenager alive. Olivia Peden is joined by Liam Tunney.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the main suspects in the murder of west Belfast man John George has been shot dead in the Costa Blanca. Michel Maly, a former soldier from the Czech republic, was shot dead in the early hours of Sunday morning in Torrevieja in the Alicante region of Spain. He had been on bail in connection with the murder of father-of-two John George, whose body was discovered in January 2025 – 24 days after he was reported missing. Olivia Peden is joined by Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A man who was abused at a so-called ‘Christian nightclub’ has accused the Presbyterian Church and the PSNI of failing him and other potential victims. Ross Hunter, now 39 years old, says he was sexually abused by his cousin Jonathan Hyndman, who was a youth leader in a co. Londonderry church in the 1990s. Hyndman, who became a policeman in the 2000s, was suspended from duty after a criminal investigation was launched but took his own just days later. The victim has accused PCI of “trying to keep abuse buried”. Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph’s Brett Campbell.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The trial of Stephen McCullagh for the murder of 32-year-old Natalie McNally has entered its second week. Today in court a transcript was read out of McCullagh’s first interview with police, where he said Natalie was “having problems with her ex”. Ms McNally was killed at her home in Lurgan, suffering fatal injuries in what has been described as a “prolonged attack”. McCullagh (36) denies murdering Ms McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Last week footage of the movements of a ‘person of interest’ was played to the court. Niamh Campbell was joined by Allison Morris.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty years ago this week, Willie Frazer's planned ‘Love Ulster’ march ended in some of the worst riots ever witnessed in Dublin city centre. So how did a bright and busy Saturday afternoon descend into violence, disorder and chaos? We hear a first-hand account from a journalist who reported on the scene.Host: Fionnán Sheahan | Guest: Neil Fetherstonhaugh Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Individuals who ‘inserted themselves’ into the search for Noah Donohoe caused difficulties for police, the inquest into the 14-year-old's death has heard.  On Wednesday it was revealed that more than 100 volunteers helped search for the schoolboy. One of those volunteers showed he could put his whole body through the bars leading to the culvert. It was also said in court that a resident of the Northwood Road area ‘couldn’t see any sign’ that someone entered the culvert where Noah Donohoe’s body was found. Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.