Lachlan Young pleads guilty to murdering Hannah McGuire

Lachlan Young has dramatically changed his plea midway through his trial, pleading guilty to murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hannah McGuire.

In a shocking twist, Ballarat man Lachlan Young has pleaded guilty to murdering his ex-partner, Hannah McGuire, midway through his murder trial.

Young, 23, had admitted to killing Ms McGuire, also 23, and staging her death to look like a suicide by torching her vehicle with her body inside in remote bushland in Scarsdale, southwest of Ballarat, in April last year.

He had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder, claiming his former partner’s death was unplanned and spontaneous.

However, after a day where the trial did not sit — following a juror being excused — Mr Young was rearraigned and pleaded guilty to the charge of murder.

The revelation was met with thunderous applause from Ms McGuire’s family and supporters in court.

Lachlan Young had admitted to killing Hannah McGuire, but has now pleaded guilty to her murder.

In a statement on Facebook, Hannah’s family — who owns the National Hotel in Clunes — said it was a “fitting” result.

“No other result would have been fitting,” the statement read.

“All for you Hannah, my sweet girl. Something tells me, it’s going to be a big night at the Nash.”

Hannah McGuire's family have released a statement following her killer Lachlan Young's shocking change of plea, admitting to her murder. Picture: Facebook.

Dozens filled the Clunes National Hotel - owned by the McGuires - on Friday as the pub became a hive of activity while evening drew on.

Several patrons close to the family declined to comment about the court case.

Young had claimed he had killed Ms McGuire by forcefully throwing her to the ground during a fight before she hit her head, lost consciousness and died.

Many entered wearing shirts bearing Hannah’s face.

Prosecutors alleged Ms McGuire was in a “controlling and turbulent relationship” with Young and a recent break-up and the impending financial strain — including the loss of their home — acted as a “catalyst” for him to murder her.

A plea hearing will now be set at a later date.

The trial heard from Hannah’s parents, Debbie and Glenn McGuire, who emotionally gave evidence that Young had abused their daughter in the months leading up to her death.

“We were never supportive of the relationship but we did try with him,” she said.

By February 2023, she said the relationship had begun to unravel.

She said Hannah called her in tears after an argument erupted when she told Young she didn’t want to buy a property in Sebastopol, just 70m from his parents’ home.

“She said he lost it,” Debbie told the jury.

“He started yelling and started kicking her car door in, and then he said to her, ‘Get your clothes and get the f--k out’.”

Young had been an abusive partner to Ms McGuire, who fled the relationship. Picture: Supplied

Hannah stayed with her parents that night but the next day called her mother, who said she was screaming.

“(Hannah said) he was sitting behind her, beeping his horn, and then he would come out into oncoming traffic beside her, trying to get her attention to pull over,” Debbie said.

She said she instructed her daughter to lock her doors and drive straight to a police station, while her father called triple-0.

But she said her daughter was forced to stop in school traffic.

“She started screaming again, saying, Lachlan … was punching her car windows and yelling for her to get out,” she said.

The court heard Hannah that day reported the incident to police, who took out an intervention order on her behalf.

“I feel really scared. I’m scared to be out of the house in case Lachlan is just waiting for me. I don’t know what he’ll do, but I’ve never seen him like this. I’m terrified,” she said in her police statement, which was read out in court.

But the couple soon got back together and purchased the Sebastopol property.

By March 2024, the relationship had begun to break down again, and Ms McGuire fled.

Hannah McGuire’s father, Glenn, and mother, Debbie (far right) outside court in Ballarat. Picture: Mark Stewart

Debbie told the court when she and her daughter went to go collect Ms McGuire’s belongings, Young was drunk and abusive – his drinking being a major source of conflict between the two.

“He was scary, he was furious, and he was yelling,” she said.

Young punched the car as they pulled away.

On April 4, the night of her daughter’s alleged murder, Debbie said Hannah appeared to be in good spirits.

She had dinner at the Clunes pub owned by her family before leaving to stay at a friend’s house.

At 3.43am the following morning, Debbie received a text from her daughter.

“I’m sorry, Mum, I thought this was the right decision,” it read.

“I tried sleeping with someone else to try and help me move on but I couldn’t do it. I tried messaging lach (sic) but he doesn’t want anything to do with me now.”

The trial earlier heard Young sent fake suicide messages and transferred thousands of dollars from the couple’s shared bank account in an attempt to cover up the murder.

The jury was shown Snapchat messages Young sent to Ms McGuire’s friend, Abby Simpson, on the morning she went missing.

“Where the f--k is she ... I will go off my dial if she’s not found,” one read.

“If anything happens to her I will destroy this town. This is all my fault.

“F--k me if someone has done something to her I will end their life.”

Debbie said she rushed to the couple’s home, where Young told her Hannah had called him that night asking to see him, but he refused because he “wanted nothing more to do with her”.

Ms McGuire’s father, Glenn, broke down in tears while giving evidence, telling the jury the last time he saw his daughter alive was at the pub with her netball teammates on the evening of April 4.

Ms McGuire, who worked at Delacombe Primary School, was murdered hours later.