Update after killer admits ex's 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.'
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