
Killer claims ex-partner hit her head during argument
Lachlan Young's barrister made the allegation as he questioned witness Benjamin O'Keefe over his involvement in Hannah McGuire's death.
Mr O'Keefe told the Victorian Supreme Court he saw Young set fire to a Mitsubishi Triton early on April 5, 2024, and later learnt Ms McGuire's body was inside.
But barrister Glenn Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe knew Ms McGuire was in the ute because Young told him she was dead.
The lawyer said Young called Mr O'Keefe at 2.53am on April 5 to say "something had happened".
When Mr O'Keefe allegedly arrived at the Sebastopol home in regional Victoria, Young explained he had forcibly pushed Ms McGuire during an argument.
Ms McGuire was thrown to the ground and died after she hit her head on the bathroom floor, Mr Casement claimed.
Young has admitted he killed Ms McGuire but denied he murdered her, instead offering to plead guilty to manslaughter.
That offer was rejected by prosecutors at the start of his murder trial.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe saw Ms McGuire on the floor and devised a plan with Young to move her body to Scarsdale.
The lawyer alleged the pair drove in convoy to the remote bushland and, when they arrived, Mr O'Keefe was the one to set fire to the Triton using his own blowtorch.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe then lied about his involvement to avoid being charged as an accessory to murder.
Mr O'Keefe was arrested and questioned over Ms McGuire's death, but he was never charged.
He denied all of the defence allegations, repeatedly saying he never went to Young's home and did not know Ms McGuire's body was in the ute.
Mr O'Keefe also rejected the claim he was the one to start the fire, maintaining he stayed in his own car as Young lit the blaze.
He told the jury he had been truthful to police and did not lie about Young's plan to drug Ms McGuire.
He claimed Young told him on April 2 that he would 'roofie' Ms McGuire and fabricate a crash with her in a car, so he could scare her out of taking their house.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did go with Young to the Scarsdale bushland and then deleted security camera footage from his home.
But he told the jury he wiped the recording because he did not want to be connected to the car fire.
He maintained he only suspected Ms McGuire was in the vehicle after he learnt she had died later that morning.
Mr O'Keefe said he visited Young after learning the news, worried he may have been implicated in a murder.
"I went up to him and said 'Hannah better not have been in that car'," he told the jury.
He claimed Young told him Ms McGuire was already dead as she had been suffocated.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did not contact police, instead deciding to drink with Young and then go on a camping trip with friends.
He shared what had happened and his mates advised him to go to the police, but he instead returned home and watched a movie.
Detectives arrested Mr O'Keefe on April 7 and questioned him for almost two hours over the murder of Ms McGuire.
The jury was told Mr O'Keefe learnt in November 2024 that he would not be facing any charges.
The trial before Justice James Elliott continues.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
An accused murderer claims his ex-girlfriend hit her head on the floor and died after one of their arguments became physical.
Lachlan Young's barrister made the allegation as he questioned witness Benjamin O'Keefe over his involvement in Hannah McGuire's death.
Mr O'Keefe told the Victorian Supreme Court he saw Young set fire to a Mitsubishi Triton early on April 5, 2024, and later learnt Ms McGuire's body was inside.
But barrister Glenn Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe knew Ms McGuire was in the ute because Young told him she was dead.
The lawyer said Young called Mr O'Keefe at 2.53am on April 5 to say "something had happened".
When Mr O'Keefe allegedly arrived at the Sebastopol home in regional Victoria, Young explained he had forcibly pushed Ms McGuire during an argument.
Ms McGuire was thrown to the ground and died after she hit her head on the bathroom floor, Mr Casement claimed.
Young has admitted he killed Ms McGuire but denied he murdered her, instead offering to plead guilty to manslaughter.
That offer was rejected by prosecutors at the start of his murder trial.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe saw Ms McGuire on the floor and devised a plan with Young to move her body to Scarsdale.
The lawyer alleged the pair drove in convoy to the remote bushland and, when they arrived, Mr O'Keefe was the one to set fire to the Triton using his own blowtorch.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe then lied about his involvement to avoid being charged as an accessory to murder.
Mr O'Keefe was arrested and questioned over Ms McGuire's death, but he was never charged.
He denied all of the defence allegations, repeatedly saying he never went to Young's home and did not know Ms McGuire's body was in the ute.
Mr O'Keefe also rejected the claim he was the one to start the fire, maintaining he stayed in his own car as Young lit the blaze.
He told the jury he had been truthful to police and did not lie about Young's plan to drug Ms McGuire.
He claimed Young told him on April 2 that he would 'roofie' Ms McGuire and fabricate a crash with her in a car, so he could scare her out of taking their house.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did go with Young to the Scarsdale bushland and then deleted security camera footage from his home.
But he told the jury he wiped the recording because he did not want to be connected to the car fire.
He maintained he only suspected Ms McGuire was in the vehicle after he learnt she had died later that morning.
Mr O'Keefe said he visited Young after learning the news, worried he may have been implicated in a murder.
"I went up to him and said 'Hannah better not have been in that car'," he told the jury.
He claimed Young told him Ms McGuire was already dead as she had been suffocated.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did not contact police, instead deciding to drink with Young and then go on a camping trip with friends.
He shared what had happened and his mates advised him to go to the police, but he instead returned home and watched a movie.
Detectives arrested Mr O'Keefe on April 7 and questioned him for almost two hours over the murder of Ms McGuire.
The jury was told Mr O'Keefe learnt in November 2024 that he would not be facing any charges.
The trial before Justice James Elliott continues.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
An accused murderer claims his ex-girlfriend hit her head on the floor and died after one of their arguments became physical.
Lachlan Young's barrister made the allegation as he questioned witness Benjamin O'Keefe over his involvement in Hannah McGuire's death.
Mr O'Keefe told the Victorian Supreme Court he saw Young set fire to a Mitsubishi Triton early on April 5, 2024, and later learnt Ms McGuire's body was inside.
But barrister Glenn Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe knew Ms McGuire was in the ute because Young told him she was dead.
The lawyer said Young called Mr O'Keefe at 2.53am on April 5 to say "something had happened".
When Mr O'Keefe allegedly arrived at the Sebastopol home in regional Victoria, Young explained he had forcibly pushed Ms McGuire during an argument.
Ms McGuire was thrown to the ground and died after she hit her head on the bathroom floor, Mr Casement claimed.
Young has admitted he killed Ms McGuire but denied he murdered her, instead offering to plead guilty to manslaughter.
That offer was rejected by prosecutors at the start of his murder trial.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe saw Ms McGuire on the floor and devised a plan with Young to move her body to Scarsdale.
The lawyer alleged the pair drove in convoy to the remote bushland and, when they arrived, Mr O'Keefe was the one to set fire to the Triton using his own blowtorch.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe then lied about his involvement to avoid being charged as an accessory to murder.
Mr O'Keefe was arrested and questioned over Ms McGuire's death, but he was never charged.
He denied all of the defence allegations, repeatedly saying he never went to Young's home and did not know Ms McGuire's body was in the ute.
Mr O'Keefe also rejected the claim he was the one to start the fire, maintaining he stayed in his own car as Young lit the blaze.
He told the jury he had been truthful to police and did not lie about Young's plan to drug Ms McGuire.
He claimed Young told him on April 2 that he would 'roofie' Ms McGuire and fabricate a crash with her in a car, so he could scare her out of taking their house.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did go with Young to the Scarsdale bushland and then deleted security camera footage from his home.
But he told the jury he wiped the recording because he did not want to be connected to the car fire.
He maintained he only suspected Ms McGuire was in the vehicle after he learnt she had died later that morning.
Mr O'Keefe said he visited Young after learning the news, worried he may have been implicated in a murder.
"I went up to him and said 'Hannah better not have been in that car'," he told the jury.
He claimed Young told him Ms McGuire was already dead as she had been suffocated.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did not contact police, instead deciding to drink with Young and then go on a camping trip with friends.
He shared what had happened and his mates advised him to go to the police, but he instead returned home and watched a movie.
Detectives arrested Mr O'Keefe on April 7 and questioned him for almost two hours over the murder of Ms McGuire.
The jury was told Mr O'Keefe learnt in November 2024 that he would not be facing any charges.
The trial before Justice James Elliott continues.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
An accused murderer claims his ex-girlfriend hit her head on the floor and died after one of their arguments became physical.
Lachlan Young's barrister made the allegation as he questioned witness Benjamin O'Keefe over his involvement in Hannah McGuire's death.
Mr O'Keefe told the Victorian Supreme Court he saw Young set fire to a Mitsubishi Triton early on April 5, 2024, and later learnt Ms McGuire's body was inside.
But barrister Glenn Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe knew Ms McGuire was in the ute because Young told him she was dead.
The lawyer said Young called Mr O'Keefe at 2.53am on April 5 to say "something had happened".
When Mr O'Keefe allegedly arrived at the Sebastopol home in regional Victoria, Young explained he had forcibly pushed Ms McGuire during an argument.
Ms McGuire was thrown to the ground and died after she hit her head on the bathroom floor, Mr Casement claimed.
Young has admitted he killed Ms McGuire but denied he murdered her, instead offering to plead guilty to manslaughter.
That offer was rejected by prosecutors at the start of his murder trial.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe saw Ms McGuire on the floor and devised a plan with Young to move her body to Scarsdale.
The lawyer alleged the pair drove in convoy to the remote bushland and, when they arrived, Mr O'Keefe was the one to set fire to the Triton using his own blowtorch.
Mr Casement claimed Mr O'Keefe then lied about his involvement to avoid being charged as an accessory to murder.
Mr O'Keefe was arrested and questioned over Ms McGuire's death, but he was never charged.
He denied all of the defence allegations, repeatedly saying he never went to Young's home and did not know Ms McGuire's body was in the ute.
Mr O'Keefe also rejected the claim he was the one to start the fire, maintaining he stayed in his own car as Young lit the blaze.
He told the jury he had been truthful to police and did not lie about Young's plan to drug Ms McGuire.
He claimed Young told him on April 2 that he would 'roofie' Ms McGuire and fabricate a crash with her in a car, so he could scare her out of taking their house.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did go with Young to the Scarsdale bushland and then deleted security camera footage from his home.
But he told the jury he wiped the recording because he did not want to be connected to the car fire.
He maintained he only suspected Ms McGuire was in the vehicle after he learnt she had died later that morning.
Mr O'Keefe said he visited Young after learning the news, worried he may have been implicated in a murder.
"I went up to him and said 'Hannah better not have been in that car'," he told the jury.
He claimed Young told him Ms McGuire was already dead as she had been suffocated.
Mr O'Keefe admitted he did not contact police, instead deciding to drink with Young and then go on a camping trip with friends.
He shared what had happened and his mates advised him to go to the police, but he instead returned home and watched a movie.
Detectives arrested Mr O'Keefe on April 7 and questioned him for almost two hours over the murder of Ms McGuire.
The jury was told Mr O'Keefe learnt in November 2024 that he would not be facing any charges.
The trial before Justice James Elliott continues.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491

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The killer ex-boyfriend of a much-loved regional Victorian teacher's aide has returned to court a week after confessing to her murder. Eight days into his murder trial, Lachlan Young, 23, changed his plea, admitting for the first time he'd murdered Hannah McGuire on April 5 last year. Young had started the trial by offering to plead guilty to manslaughter, which was flatly rejected by prosecutors. But on July 18 the trial was aborted as he pleaded guilty to murder. During the trial, jurors heard Young killed Ms McGuire, a teacher's aide from Clunes, at the home they once shared, before driving her body to nearby bushland where he torched the vehicle. Emergency services found the young woman's body in a burnt out car off State Forest Rd hours after her family reported her missing. The killer beamed in to the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday morning for a short administrative hearing to determine the next steps in the case. Wearing a prison-green jumper over a white T-shirt, Young stared passively at the screen in front of him displaying the court. Senior Crown Prosecutor Kristie Churchill told the court she was proposing a three-day plea hearing — not because there was significant issues left to argue but because she expected a large number of victim impact statements from Ms McGuire's loved ones. She said there may be small factual issues left to work out but did not expect there would be any witnesses called. 'We thought the safer course is to list to for three, it may be closer to two (days),' Ms Churchill said. Hannah McGuire's parents Debbie and Glenn McGuire entering the court. Picture NewsWire / Josie Hayden Credit: News Corp Australia Young's barrister, Glenn Casement, agreed, saying defence 'hope to avoid calling any further witnesses' and parties would seek to narrow remaining issues. Justice James Elliott listed a three-day plea hearing to begin on October 27 in Ballarat. After Young's plea, Ms McGuire's family shared a message online, writing; 'No other result would have been fitting. All for you Hannah, my sweet girl.'

News.com.au
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Hannah McGuire murder: Pre-sentence hearing set down for killer ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young
The killer ex-boyfriend of a much-loved regional Victorian teacher's aide has returned to court a week after confessing to her murder. Eight days into his murder trial, Lachlan Young, 23, changed his plea, admitting for the first time he'd murdered Hannah McGuire on April 5 last year. Young had started the trial by offering to plead guilty to manslaughter, which was flatly rejected by prosecutors. But on July 18 the trial was aborted as he pleaded guilty to murder. During the trial, jurors heard Young killed Ms McGuire, a teacher's aide from Clunes, at the home they once shared, before driving her body to nearby bushland where he torched the vehicle. Emergency services found the young woman's body in a burnt out car off State Forest Rd hours after her family reported her missing. The killer beamed in to the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday morning for a short administrative hearing to determine the next steps in the case. Wearing a prison-green jumper over a white T-shirt, Young stared passively at the screen in front of him displaying the court. Senior Crown Prosecutor Kristie Churchill told the court she was proposing a three-day plea hearing — not because there was significant issues left to argue but because she expected a large number of victim impact statements from Ms McGuire's loved ones. She said there may be small factual issues left to work out but did not expect there would be any witnesses called. 'We thought the safer course is to list to for three, it may be closer to two (days),' Ms Churchill said. Young's barrister, Glenn Casement, agreed, saying defence 'hope to avoid calling any further witnesses' and parties would seek to narrow remaining issues. Justice James Elliott listed a three-day plea hearing to begin on October 27 in Ballarat. After Young's plea, Ms McGuire's family shared a message online, writing; 'No other result would have been fitting. All for you Hannah, my sweet girl.'