Daily London
A murderer will finally learn his fate after killing his former girlfriend and then burning her body in remote bushland.
Lachlan Young, 23, will return to the Victorian Supreme Court in Ballarat today to hear Justice James Elliott hand down his sentence.
Young initially denied he murdered Hannah McGuire last April, claiming her death was a spontaneous incident as he took the case to trial.
But after eight days of evidence before a jury, Young admitted he strangled McGuire in the bathroom of their Sebastopol home about 2.30am on April 5.
He then shoved her body into the footwell of her Mitsubishi Triton, drove it to remote bushland in Scarsdale and set the vehicle alight.
As he left the scene, Young used McGuire’s phone to send messages to her mother Debbie, claiming she was going to take her life.
He then transferred $2000 from McGuire’s bank account to her mother and $5000 to himself.
At Young’s pre-sentence hearing last month, crown prosecutor Kristie Churchill urged Justice Elliott to impose a lengthy prison sentence.
Young had been abusive and controlling towards McGuire for months, and he was motivated to kill her because of male entitlement, jealousy and rage, Churchill said.
“Her final moments must have been filled with terror,” the prosecutor told the court.
Young’s barrister Glenn Casement argued the judge should be lenient in sentencing, noting his client’s young age, troubled upbringing, substance abuse issues and poor mental health.
But Casement conceded the only evidence of remorse was Young’s guilty plea and a note from his sister in her letter of reference.
Dozens of McGuire’s friends and family sat through the two-day hearing in October, where victim impact statements were also read aloud.
Hannah’s mother Debbie McGuire vowed to never forgive Young, telling the 23-year-old she hoped he experienced intense pain every day for the rest of his life.
She, her husband Glenn and other loved ones are once again expected to pack the Ballarat courtroom today.
In a post on their business’ Facebook page, the McGuires said they would conduct themselves with integrity regardless of the sentence imposed.
“We will forever be grateful for your love and kindness throughout what has been an unimaginably difficult time for our family,” the social media post read.
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
