The prosecution in the Natalie McNally murder trial has said the evidence against her boyfriend is "compelling".
Charles MacCreanor KC told the jury they may well ask why 36-year-old accused Stephen McCullagh, had chosen not to give evidence.
He was presenting closing arguments as the trial moves towards a conclusion.
Natalie McNally, who was 32, was 15 weeks' pregnant when she was killed at her home in Lurgan on 18 December 2022.
Her partner, Stephen McCullagh, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, is on trial at Belfast Crown Court accused of murdering her. He has denied the charge.
Mr MacCreanor said the alibi provided by the defendant had been shown to be a "complete fabrication".
Mr McCullagh claimed he was involved in a six hour video livestream on the internet when Ms McNally was murdered in her Lurgan home in December 2022.
She was 15 weeks pregnant with Mr McCullagh's child.
It was later shown that the stream had been pre-recorded four days earlier and played out on his YouTube channel on the night of the murder.
The prosecution makes the case that he used that window to take a bus from his home at Woodland Gardens in Lisburn to Lurgan to carry out the murder.
The prosecution said he lied to friends, the McNally family and the police, persisting with the story about the livestream until police cybercrime experts proved it had been pre-recorded.
The prosecution said it was only at this point that the accused provided a written statement acknowledging that the stream had been recorded.
He claimed he had been drinking and fell asleep in his home as the stream was played out.
Mr MacCreanor said the defendant had changed tack because he had been "caught out".
"Why would you need a false alibi? Because you murdered Natalie McNally."
The prosecution makes the case that Ms McNally had been messaging other men and expressing some doubts about the future of her relationship with the defendant.
The trial has heard that Mr McCullagh had the passcode to Ms McNally's phone.
The defence will make its submissions to the jury tomorrow.
The case continues.
