Ballarat man Lachlan Young pleads guilty to murder of Hannah McGuire
There were dramatic scenes at the Victorian Supreme Court in Ballarat on Friday when the court was told the jury was being discharged after Lachlan Young, who was on trial for the murder of his former girlfriend, had decided to change his plea overnight.
Young previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to one count of murder.
On Friday, his lawyer Glenn Casement told the court his client now wanted to plead guilty to the more serious charge of murder.
'Mr Young, you're charged with murder at Sebastopol in Victoria on the fifth day of April 2024, you murdered Hannah McGuire, how do you plead – guilty or not guilty?' Young was asked.
'Guilty,' Young responded as he stared straight ahead.
As Justice James Elliott discharged the jury, McGuire's family and friends clapped and embraced.
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