Overview

• On July 18, Young admitted in court to murdering his ex-partner, ending the eight-day Supreme Court trial in Ballarat.
• Justice James Elliott adjourned the proceedings and scheduled Young’s sentencing for late July following the plea change.
• Young’s defense had initially argued Hannah McGuire’s death was accidental and disputed any premeditation before he reversed his plea.
• Prosecution witnesses and forensic reconstructions—including CCTV analysis, crime-scene photographs and a site tour—detailed how Young disposed of McGuire’s body in a burnt-out vehicle.
• A suppression order lifted after the guilty plea revealed an unrelated rape charge against Young, which will advance to a directions hearing in August.