Lachlan Young was on bail for assault and burglary charges at time of alleged murder

The 21-year-old ex-partner of teaching aide Hannah McGuire was on bail for a range of charges at the time he allegedly carried out her murder and left her body in a burnt-out car near Ballarat.

The ex-partner accused of murdering beloved teaching aide Hannah McGuire was out on bail when he allegedly killed her, it has been revealed.

It comes as domestic violence experts in Ballarat say urgent funding is needed to meet a “a surge in demand” for services in the wake of the deaths of Ms McGuire, mum of three Samantha Murphy and mum of five Rebecca Young.

Ms Murphy was allegedly murdered by Patrick Stephenson while on a jog in February in the Ballarat region and Ms Young was killed by her partner in a horror murder suicide just a fortnight later while two of her kids were inside the Sebastopol home.

On Wednesday night it emerged that Ms McGuire’s ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young, 21, was on bail for unrelated assault and burglary charges when he allegedly murdered her.

Lachie Young, 21, has been charged with the murder. Picture: Supplied

His father Anthony was also charged over the alleged burglary and both are due to appear in the County Court on May 6 over the matter.

Mr Young fronted court on Tuesday over the death of Ms McGuire, whose body was found in a burnt-out car near Ballarat on Friday morning.

Sarah, whose daughter was taught by Ms McGuire at Delacombe Primary School, said the young teaching support officer’s death highlighted how more crisis support needed to be made available for Ballarat women.

“Women need more places to go when they fear for their safety and be taken seriously,” she said.

Hannah McGuire was found dead near Scarsdale on Friday. Picture: Supplied

“I don’t know how you prevent things like this when it seems like these boys just take a turn in the wrong direction, but what they have done has rocked our whole community.”

CEO of Women’s Health Grampians Marianne Hendron told the Herald Sun investment in local family violence services was “needed more than ever”.

Ms Hendron said “a lot of investment” was delivered in the aftermath of the Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2015.

“We just hope that the funding will be sustained,” she said.

Flowers at the scene where Hannah McGuire’s body was found in a burnt-out car. Picture: Ian Currie

Ms Hendron noted that Ballarat, like all regional communities, generally experienced higher rates of violence.

The number of family violence incidents in Ballarat has spiked by 25 per cent since 2018, with nearly one in five criminal offences family violence related.

Fierce local advocate Dr Jess Cadwallader said the numbers were reflected in the “very high demand for an extended period of time” for family violence services.

She said several issues were causing the surge, including major housing and childcare shortages.

Premier Jacinta Allan, who recognised that 22 Australian women had been murdered so far this year, said: “This must stop.”

She noted that all 227 recommendations from the Royal Commission have been implemented, with more than $3.8bn invested.

Couple bought home together in Sebastopol

Hannah McGuire celebrated buying a home with the ex-boyfriend now accused of murdering her little more than a year before her body was found in a burnt-out car near Ballarat.

Ms McGuire, 23, and Lachie Young, 21, bought a home on King Drive in the Ballarat suburb of Sebastopol in March last year.

A real estate photo shows the pair both smiling as they stand next to a sold sign in front of the three-bedroom brick home to mark the sale.

Property records show the home is held in both their names.

Hannah McGuire bought a home with Lachlan Young on King Drive in Sebastopol. Picture: Supplied

On Tuesday, Mr Young fronted the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court charged with Ms McGuire’s murder.

Ms McGuire’s mother sobbed as Mr Young was lead to the dock.

Ms McGuire’s body was found in a burnt-out car in bushland near State Forest Road in Scarsdale southwest of Ballarat.

The King Rd property was sold to the then couple in March 17 with settlement happening two months later.

The property was one of three Sebastopol houses searched by police at the weekend.

Ms McGuire’s alleged murder has sparked an outpouring of anguish from the Ballarat community, with Premier Jacinta Allan leading a chorus of outrage against a national crisis of violence against women that has claimed 22 lives this year.

“It has to stop,” Ms Allan said on Tuesday.

Three women have been allegedly murdered in the Ballarat region in the past three months.

Ballarat East mother of three Samantha Murphy disappeared in February after going for a jog.

Patrick Stephenson, 22, was arrested and charged with her murder in March.

Rebecca Young, a mum of five, was stabbed to death while she was at her Sebastopol home with two of her kids in February.

Her partner Ian Butler – who had ties to the Bandidos – took his own life after killing her.