Lachlan Young, 23, has been sentenced to 28 years' jail for the murder of his former partner, Hannah McGuire, in April 2024. The Supreme Court of Victoria handed down the sentence in Ballarat on Thursday.
Young strangled Ms McGuire in their Sebastopol home before placing her body in her ute and setting it alight in bushland on Ballarat's outskirts. He staged the scene to look like a suicide.
Justice James Elliott described domestic violence as a 'scourge' in Victoria and noted Young's history of domineering, controlling, and abusive behavior. The court heard that Ms McGuire was finalizing plans to leave Young permanently before her death.
Young sat emotionless in the dock but was later heard crying when the judge spoke of his sister's visit in custody. He has served 589 days of pre-sentence detention and will be eligible for parole in August 2046.
Ms McGuire's family expressed relief at the sentence. Her mother, Debbie McGuire, thanked the communities that supported them. Ms McGuire was remembered as 'warm, special, talented, and giving' and worked as a teacher's aide.
