Man tells court Lachlan Young planned to 'roofie' Hannah McGuire and roll her down a hill in her car
The court heard Benjamin O'Keefe's job was to bring an extra car so Lachlan Young, on trial for Ms McGuire's murder, had a lift home.
Mr Young, 23, has admitted to killing Ms McGuire and dumping her body in bushland, but denies he did so with murderous intent.
He has pleaded not guilty to the young Clunes woman's murder after an offer to plead guilty to manslaughter was rejected.
Ms McGuire's family reported her missing in April last year, and the 23-year-old's body was later found in a burnt-out vehicle at Scarsdale, south-west of Ballarat.
Giving evidence today, Mr O'Keefe, 23, told the court that Mr Young asked him to convoy with him into bushland so he had a ride home after planning to crash Ms McGuire's car with her, unconscious, at the wheel.
"He wanted to put her in her car and roll her down a hill … because she was leaving him and she was going to take the house and other things," Mr O'Keefe told the court.
"I was supposed to meet him at 12 at night on the corner and follow him in the car, then give him a lift home."
Mr O'Keefe said he told Mr Young he could not do it, and tried ignoring his messages, but after a few requests, agreed.
He told the court he followed Mr Young in the early hours of April 5, 2024 out to the Scarsdale location, all of which the prosecution corroborated with CCTV footage from the night.
Mr O'Keefe told jurors that at no point did he see inside the vehicle Mr Young was driving.
When the pair arrived at the Scarsdale site, Mr O'Keefe told the court Mr Young asked him what to do with the vehicle.
"I said, dump it, don't burn it. You get in more trouble with a fire," Mr O'Keefe said.
"Lachie [Young] drives off and I follow him … he drove down the road then swerved the car and crashed it into a tree."
Mr O'Keefe told the court he then watched in his rear-view mirror as Mr Young used a yellow blowtorch to set the two front seats of Ms McGuire's vehicle, with her in it, on fire.
Mr Young paid him $45 for his assistance.
Earlier in the day, a teaching colleague of Ms McGuire's told the court the school where she worked put a safety plan in place over fears Mr Young would find her at work.
Danielle McCann, safety officer at Delacombe Primary School where Ms McGuire was an educational support worker, told the court that whenever Ms McGuire was outside with children, the school monitored entry points on CCTV, locked external doors, and ensured Ms McGuire stayed close to buildings.
Ms McCann told the court the school was aware Ms McGuire had obtained an intervention order against Mr Young after he pursued her in a car, tried to run her off the road, and punched the car window.
After the intervention order was served, Ms McCann said Ms McGuire continued to receive "threats" from Mr Young.
"I asked, 'Are you safe?' Her reply was, 'I don't know'," Ms McCann told the court.
Other work friends of Ms McGuire's gave evidence Mr Young was "horrible" and "disrespectful" to her during their relationship, including multiple incidents where they witnessed him yelling, using expletives, and calling her fat.
Ms McGuire's work friend Jaymie McDonald told the court about multiple instances where Ms McGuire broke down crying over her relationship with Mr Young.
The court also heard how Mr Young phoned and messaged Ms McGuire's friends repeatedly in the hours after she was killed, accusing them of hiding Ms McGuire and causing her death.
"When I spoke to him, he was asking me where Hannah was … he was quite accusational that I had Hannah at my house and was hiding her from him," Abby Simpson, another of Ms McGuire's work colleagues, told the court during evidence.
The court was shown Ms Simpson's phone logs, which indicated Mr Young attempted to call her dozens of times between 5 and 6am the morning Ms McGuire was killed.
He also sent Ms Simpson multiple messages stating: "Where the f*** is she?… Fuck me, if someone has done something to her, I will end their life."
The five-week trial continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- News.com.au
Knives seized, men arrested after armed brawl at Sydney shopping centre
A brawl involving people armed with knives broke out in the food court of a busy shopping centre in Sydney's southwest on Friday afternoon. Shortly after 2pm, police were called to Stockland at Wetherill Park following reports of the incident. Two men were arrested inside the shopping centre's food court, where police also seized two knives. Police said no injuries had been reported. A crime scene has been established, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.
ABC News
14 hours ago
- ABC News
Truck driver Adam Ohlmeyer jailed for the manslaughter of Martin Stait
A Queensland truck driver whose load detached and killed a motorist in northern New South Wales has been jailed. Grafton man Martin Stait died after a 30-metre roll of fencing wire came off the back of a passing truck and hit his car, causing him to crash at Swan Creek near Grafton on August 8, 2021. The 35-year-old was driving home from his family's farm with his two young children. Adam Ohlmeyer, 48, from Kingaroy, was working as second driver at the time of the accident and was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, which had been travelling from its depot in Toowoomba to Grafton. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Stait, as well as being an accessory before the fact of dangerous driving occasioning death and driving an unsafely loaded vehicle. Ohlmeyer was sentenced in Grafton District Court on Friday to three years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 13 months. Agreed police facts tendered in court said the truck broke down near Byron Bay and had to be towed to a service station in Ballina. A driver with a prime mover met Ohlmeyer there and the trailer was transferred onto the second truck. According to the facts, CCTV showed the rolls of wire wobbling as the second trailer was attached, but this went unnoticed by Ohlmeyer and he did not check the load again during the changeover. The pair then continued the journey south. Eight rolls of wire came off the truck at Ulmarra, north of the accident site, and the ninth roll, which struck Mr Stait's car, came off the truck about 10 kilometres down the road. Ohlmeyer was not aware the load was gone until he arrived in South Grafton, the facts said. Judge James Bennett said Ohlmeyer had failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the load was secure. "The rolls of wire were grossly inadequately secured, which should have been obvious to the offender," he said. During sentencing the court heard Ohlmeyer felt shame and deep regret and had suffered panic attacks, depression and PTSD since the incident. The court heard Mr Stait was the heart of his family, the one everyone called for advice, help, or just for a chat. He loved his family, fossicking for gemstones and fishing, which often resulted in a "happy dance" whenever he made a good catch. Ohlmeyer cried as he sat in the dock to hear the victim impact statements of seven of Mr Stait's family members. Mr Stait's wife, Ni Komang Muliastuti, described herself as "a butterfly who has lost its wings" and said she had considered taking her own life. "It felt like the only way to escape the pain," she said. Mr Stait's sister, Jennifer, addressed Ohlmeyer directly. "I acknowledge you have taken account for your actions but I do not forgive you," she said. Mr Stait's brother Troy told the court he had tried to be brave for his family but inside he was "torn a part". He said he had become depressed and started drinking, had lost his business and separated from his wife. "It's like walking uphill in quicksand," he said. Outside court Troy said the sentence adequately reflected Ohlmeyer's role in his brother's death. Three other men have pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the incident. Their cases due to go to trial in April.
The Australian
14 hours ago
- The Australian
Police announce renewed search for Melissa Trussell, 25 years after disappearance
A renewed search has been launched for the remains of Melissa Trussell, who was last seen with her mother in South Australia more than 25 years ago. Rosemary Brown, 33, and her 15-year-old daughter Melissa Trussell, who is also known as Melissa Brown, were last seen leaving their house in Blair Athol in northern Adelaide on May 13, 2000. Melissa Trussell went missing more than 25 years ago. Picture: SA Police Police believe the teenager was murdered, but are yet to find her remains. Picture: Supplied / SAPOL Rosemary's handbag was found later that day in Stirling St in Northfield, but it wasn't handed into police until 10 days later when an appeal to find the missing pair was made public. Her body was found in the mangroves of Garden Island in the city's northwest on July 2, 2000. However her daughter Melissa was never found, with police suspecting she had been killed. More than 25 years later, South Australia Police have begun a renewed search for the missing teenager, with police combing a previously unsearched area of Garden Island. 'This search demonstrates that we will not give up looking for answers,' Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said. 'We will continue to investigate this matter and will not stop until we can provide closure and hopefully justice for the loved ones of both Rosemary Brown and Melissa Trussell.' No one has ever been charged in relation to their disappearances or deaths. In May, Acting Detective Superintendent Andrew Macrae said despite the passage of time, police remained dedicated to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable. 'We encourage anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward,' he said. 'Your assistance could be crucial in helping us piece together the events surrounding this tragic incident.' A renewed search has been called, with police identifying an area of Garden Island that was previously unsearched. Picture: SA Police Speaking to the ABC, Melissa's father Barry Trussell said he had many unanswered questions about his daughter's disappearance. 'The what ifs, you know - what sort of mother would she have been? What sort of life would she have led?' he said. 'All these things are taken away from her and extra enjoyment we could've got out of life, having her involved in our life.' The missing girl's sister, Kayla, said her family had experienced 'decades of pain' and urged anyone with information to come forward. 'It's all that we can really ask for,' she said. The SA government and SA Police are offering a reward of up to $1m to anyone who provides information that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder of the teenager. Additionally, rewards of up to $250,000 are available for anyone who provides information that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder of Rosemary Brown. Read related topics: Adelaide
