Ballarat killer Lachlan Young found not guilty of raping teenager
Lachlan Young, currently serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of Hannah McGuire, has been found not guilty of raping a teenager in a separate trial. The jury was not informed of his murder conviction during the rape trial to ensure a fair verdict.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal procedural necessity of keeping separate criminal trials distinct to protect the integrity of the judicial process.
A court sketch of Lachlan Young during his August 2026 County Court trial. ( Supplied: Anita Lester )
Link copied Share Share article Ballarat killer Lachlan Young has been cleared of raping a teenager months before he murdered his girlfriend, Hannah McGuire.
On Thursday, a County Court jury found Young, 24, not guilty of forcing a 16-year-old to have sexual intercourse while the pair were at his neighbour's Sebastopol property on February 5, 2024.
About two months later, Young murdered Ms McGuire in her home.
He went on to face trial, in one of the most high-profile cases Ballarat has seen in recent years.
Young pleaded not guilty but changed his plea mid-trial , admitting to a horror campaign of domestic violence that ended with Ms McGuire being killed and her body being torched inside a vehicle.
In November, he was sentenced to 28 years' jail .
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