Mother’s tears in court as accused killer Lachie Young fronts court after allegedly murdering his ex-girlfriend Hannah McGuire

The 21-year-old man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend has fronted court for the first time to face charges of murdering her last Friday. 

Lachie Young appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court in regional Victoria on Tuesday after being charged on Monday with Hannah McGuire’s murder.

Sporting a mullet haircut, Young slumped in court as the heartbroken mother of his alleged victim wept in her seat at the front of the courtroom. 

The court heard Young would be kept behind bars until his next court date in September. 

Little information was provided on Homicide Squad detectives’ case against the alleged killer. 

The court heard multiple crime scenes were still being investigated with police combing through CCTV footage. 

Young’s lawyer complained to the court that police had provided her with no information about the allegations. 

‘They swooped very quickly,’ she said. 

The court heard it will take the prosecution 16 weeks to compile their brief of evidence against Young. 

Young’s lawyer revealed it was her client’s first time in custody and he needed access to anti-depressant medication.  

It is understood Ms McGuire’s death had initially been dismissed as a suicide after her body was found in a burnt out car.

But a coroner’s report indicated she had allegedly sustained deadly injuries before the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

The remains of the were found near State Forest Road, close to Scarsdale, south-west of Ballarat in Victoria, just before 1am on Friday.

It can further be revealed Ms McGuire had been friends with Young’s sister Bek Young. 

Images of Young on social media indicate he enjoyed a good upbringing and remained close to his parents up until the day of his arrest. 

His parents’ family home is situated a stone’s throw from the Sebastopol home where detectives arrested him on Sunday.  

A 22-year-old was also arrested that afternoon but was released without charge.

It’s understood that police will allege in court that Young texted friends of Ms McGuire suggesting she had ended her own life.

‘The police came and seen me Friday lunchtime and told me she had done it and wasn’t with us anymore. This is my fault,’ the text allegedly read.

Young also posted a tribute to his ex-girlfriend on Facebook at 1.19am on Saturday.

He posted a photo of the couple with the caption: ‘I will forever love you until we meet again make that sky pretty beautiful girl’ with two love heart emojis.

Young and Ms McGuire had been in a relationship and were living together for the past year before they recently split, Daily Mail Australia understands.

Ms McGuire, who worked at her family’s pub – The National Hotel in Clunes – had lived with Young up until a week ago when she moved. 

In a post on the pub’s Facebook page, the McGuire family said they were ‘broken’. 

‘The pub will be open as normal on Wednesday, we’ll leave you in the capable hands of Johnny Hind for a few days,’ the post read. 

‘Thank you everyone for your love, support and kind words. Our hearts are broken.

‘You weren’t just a star to us. You were our whole damn sky. Miss you Princess!’

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, phone 1800 RESPECT or the Crisis Care Helpline on 1800 199 008.