Breaking: Ballarat killer Lachlan Young found not guilty of raping teenager
Ballarat killer Lachlan Young has been cleared of raping a teenager months before he murdered his girlfriend, Hannah McGuire.
Ballarat man Lachlan Young has been acquitted of raping a 16-year-old girl months before he murdered his girlfriend, Hannah McGuire, according to the source. The County Court jury ruled Young, 24, not guilty of forcibly having sexual intercourse with the teenager at his neighbor's property in Sebastopol on February 5, 2024. Two months later, Young killed Ms. McGuire in her home.
Young pleaded not guilty but later admitted to a pattern of domestic violence that culminated in Ms. McGuire's death. In November, he was given a 28-year jail sentence. The jury in Young's rape trial was not informed about his murder conviction, and the jury and lawyers avoided mentioning Ms. McGuire's name during the trial due to legal restrictions.
Young testified that the sexual activity stopped when the girl, who he had just met, told him she was only 16. Young is currently incarcerated in Barwon Prison, with his murder sentence set to end in August 2052.
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