Lachlan Morganti sentenced at Ballarat court for theft of GoFundMe money meant for McGuire family

An avid sportsman gambled away money raised for the family of Hannah McGuire in a “desperate attempt” to manage his debts while struggling with an “intense” addiction.

Lachlan Morganti, 26, has been sentenced for the theft of nearly $65,000 from a GoFundMe fundraiser for the family of allegedly murdered Clunes woman Hannah McGuire. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

A Winter Valley sportsman says he is “incredibly sorry” for wagering away $65,000 raised for the family of an allegedly murdered woman in what a court heard was a “desperate attempt” to manage his debts.

Footballer and cricketer Lachlan Morganti, 26, faced Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday having earlier pleaded guilty to stealing money from fundraising platform GoFundMe.

Morganti set up a fundraiser in the name of the Clunes Cricket Club in April for the relatives of allegedly murdered Clunes woman Hannah McGuire and had $64,541.75 transferred to his own bank account while he was in the middle of an “intense and uncontrollable gambling addiction”.

The man charged over Ms McGuire’s death, Lachlan Young, pleaded not guilty in September and will return to court this week.

Hannah McGuire

The court heard Morganti gambled a portion of the funds to try to recoup his own debts, but squandered the entire amount within four to five days.

He confessed to the McGuires and made full admissions to police when arrested, displaying “significant shame and remorse” for his actions.

On September 24, Hannah’s mother Debbie McGuire told the court her family never asked Morganti or anyone else for financial support.

She said she had several encounters with Morganti where he could have owned up to his offending earlier, and that he even stood among “the very people who had contributed to the GoFundMe” at her daughter’s funeral.

“The accused had the audacity to attend Hannah’s funeral … knowing he had spent the money,” she said.

Lachlan Morganti (right) leaving court on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz said she accepted the fundraiser was established altruistically, but the temptation to use the money became “overwhelming” for Morganti.

“Your act has infringed on the McGuire family’s ability to grieve in private and in dignity given the unwarranted attention that has flowed from your actions,” she told him as he sat in the court’s front row alongside his family, and with Debbie and Glenn McGuire nearby.

The court heard Morganti’s gambling began when he was 18 and turned into an “uncontrollable urge” which lead him to withdraw his superannuation, borrow money, and sell assets, all the while unable to quit due to the “thrill and adrenaline rush” the habit brought on.

Morganti even gambled away $10,000 taken from his super on the very day he received the GoFundMe cash.

He had been drinking that day and requested and then cancelled his requests for the money transferral, the court heard, indicating that he “knew the funds were at risk in [his] possession”.

He has since been expelled from the cricket club.

Morganti was convicted and sentenced to a community correction order for two years, which includes 400 hours of community work and various health and behavioural treatments.

A Facebook post by the National Hotel in Clunes following Morganti’s sentence.

Outside court, Morganti said he was “sorry it ever got to this stage”.

“I never meant for this to happen,” he said.

“I’m incredibly sorry.”

In a statement on their pub’s Facebook page, the McGuire family said they were “glad it’s over”.

“Now we can give our full attention where it should’ve been all along and that’s on Hannah,” they said.

“Thank you to all those who donated and I’m so sorry for how it turned out.”