Hannah McGuire’s heartbroken family have burst into tears as the man accused of killing her denied murdering the beloved teacher’s aid.
Ms McGuire’s ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday via video link where he formally entered a plea of not guilty to murder.
The court had been packed with friends and family of Ms McGuire, many of whom wore t-shirts bearing her smiling face.
There was an audible gasp as Young entered his plea from a video room within the Melbourne Assessment Prison.
Dressed in a pink t-shirt and sporting a mullet, Young showed no emotion as he sat through the hearing.
The court heard Young had declined his right to a preliminary committal hearing and instead elected to have his matter fast-tracked to the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Outside court, Nicole Van Berkel – family friend of Ms McGuire – struggled to hide her emotions.
‘It’s just a tragic loss. It’s just senseless,’ she said.
Ms Van Berkel was among up to 100 people who crammed into the courtroom in support of Ms McGuire’s family.
‘It’s just devastating,’ she said of Young’s plea.
‘We thought, do us all a favour, but.’
Ms McGuire’s devastated parents Glenn and Debbie stormed past the media pack after the hearing.
They had been front-and-centre in court in a position that would have allowed Young to clearly see them on his video screen from prison.
A police officer was seen hugging Ms McGuire’s mum as she made her way into the court.
No reason was offered as to why Young elected to have the matter go directly to the Supreme Court.
Alleged mushroom killer Erin Patterson made a similar decision last month.
Like Patterson, Young’s matter will be ‘fast tracked’ to the Supreme Court in an effort to get the trial underway as soon as possible.
However, the trial is unlikely to happen anytime soon and is not expected to take place until late next year at best.
Young told the magistrate he understood what his decision meant.
No reasons have been provided as to why or how police allege Young killed his recently estranged partner.
While the media has been granted Young’s charge sheets, those reasons will now remain unknown until he stands trial.
Pictured smiling from ear-to-ear, Ms McGuire had posed next to a large ‘sold’ sign alongside her then-partner outside their home in Sebastopol, near Ballarat in regional Victoria, a little over a year before her alleged murder.
The snapshot of happiness was taken almost a year to the day before Young appeared in court on Tuesday to face charges of murdering Ms McGuire.
Another image obtained by Daily Mail showed a beaming Young snuggled in closely to his immaculately dressed partner.
The King Drive property was sold to the then-couple on March 17 last year, with the pair moving in shortly afterwards.
Ms McGuire’s body was found near State Forest Road, close to Scarsdale, south-west of Ballarat in Victoria, just before 1am on Friday.
Her 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.
A friend of Ms McGuire, who asked to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail her friend had worked as a teacher alongside Young’s sister.
‘Hannah was the most caring person anyone could come across, no matter what walk of life you came from she welcomed you with open arms,’ she said.
Ms McGuire had been in the process of finishing her degree while working as a teacher until her heartbreaking death.
A year earlier, the then-happy couple paid $470,000 for their first dream home which on Tuesday was sealed off with police tape as a crime scene on Tuesday.
Young’s own family home, where his parents still reside, sits a mere stone’s throw from the property.
The couple’s house boasted three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a large double garage in the backyard.
The couple had been popular among many of their neighbours, who shared fond memories of drinking with them at the home.
More to come.