The crime and discovery
On 5 April 2024, 23-year-old Hannah McGuire of Clunes, Victoria, was found dead inside her burnt-out vehicle near Scarsdale, about 25km south-west of Ballarat. Her former partner, Lachlan Young, also 23, was charged with murder after an investigation revealed the blaze was part of a cover-up of the killing. Prosecutors alleged Young murdered McGuire during an argument at a home the pair once shared, then drove her body in her own car to bushland and set the vehicle alight to stage her death as a suicide.
The relationship and lead-up
Court documents showed that McGuire had recently ended the relationship and was planning to leave the shared property with Young. According to testimony, Young felt threatened by that decision. Witness evidence included claims that Young had told a friend he planned to crash McGuire’s car with her inside because she was leaving him. The jury also heard that Young sent fake suicide-style text messages from McGuire’s phone and transferred money following her death — actions intended to mislead investigators.
Guilty plea and court proceedings
Young initially pleaded not guilty to murder, offering to plead guilty to manslaughter instead — a proposal rejected by the prosecution. Eight days into his trial at the Supreme Court in Ballarat, Young changed his plea and admitted to murdering McGuire. He remains before the court, with sentencing scheduled following a plea hearing where victim-impact statements and other material will be considered.
Impact on community and wider significance
McGuire was known locally as a warm, giving person and was involved in her town’s netball club and university life. Her death deeply affected the small Clunes community and beyond. Her family and prosecutors described the murder as an example of how control and entitlement in a relationship can spiral into deadly violence. In court, the judge remarked that such behaviour should be treated with the utmost severity.
What comes next
Young will return to court for his sentencing — where the full circumstances, including the planning and cover-up, will be weighed in determining his prison term. Victim-impact statements, community submissions and expert advice on relationship violence and its effects are expected to inform sentencing. The case continues to drive awareness around the warning signs of relationship violence and the importance of early support and intervention.
