<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An accused murderer claims his ex-girlfriend hit her head on the floor and died after one of their arguments became physical.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lachlan Young's barrister made the allegation as he questioned witness Benjamin O'Keefe over his involvement in Hannah McGuire's death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Keefe told the Victorian Supreme Court he saw Young set fire to a Mitsubishi Triton early on April 5, 2024, and later learnt McGuire's body was inside.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/perseid-meteor-shower-2025-when-how-to-watch-best-visibility-australia-everything-to-know-explainer/3a75b48f-0edf-4639-b4b7-54bf3aaa2992" target="_blank"><strong><span>The 'best meteor shower of the year' is about to light up the skies</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But barrister Glenn Casement claimed O'Keefe knew McGuire was in the ute because Young told him she was dead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The lawyer said Young called O'Keefe at 2.53am on April 5 to say "something had happened".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When O'Keefe allegedly arrived at the Sebastopol home in regional Victoria, Young explained he had forcibly pushed McGuire during an argument.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/killer-claims-expartner-hit-her-head-during-argument/81cb2a13-9bfd-41f6-9eff-aeb6eb749c81" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>McGuire was thrown to the ground and died after she hit her head on the bathroom floor, Casement claimed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Young has admitted he killed McGuire but denied he murdered her, instead offering to plead guilty to manslaughter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That offer was rejected by prosecutors at the start of his murder trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Casement claimed O'Keefe saw McGuire on the floor and devised a plan with Young to move her body to Scarsdale.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The lawyer alleged the pair drove in convoy to the remote bushland and, when they arrived, O'Keefe was the one to set fire to the Triton using his own blowtorch.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Casement claimed O'Keefe then lied about his involvement to avoid being charged as an accessory to murder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Keefe was arrested and questioned over McGuire's death, but he was never charged.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He denied all of the defence allegations, repeatedly saying he never went to Young's home and did not know McGuire's body was in the ute.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Keefe also rejected the claim he was the one to start the fire, maintaining he stayed in his own car as Young lit the blaze.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bradley-john-murdoch-peter-falconio-killer-dead-after-cancer-battle/d00e74ef-e0aa-4b21-9862-b1b7a45fd6c8" target="_blank"><strong><span>Backpacker killer Bradley John Murdoch dies aged 67</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He told the jury he had been truthful to police and did not lie about Young's plan to drug McGuire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He claimed Young told him on April 2 that he would 'roofie' McGuire and fabricate a crash with her in a car, so he could scare her out of taking their house.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Keefe admitted he did go with Young to the Scarsdale bushland and then deleted security camera footage from his home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he told the jury he wiped the recording because he did not want to be connected to the car fire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He maintained he only suspected McGuire was in the vehicle after he learnt she had died later that morning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Keefe said he visited Young after learning the news, worried he may have been implicated in a murder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I went up to him and said 'Hannah better not have been in that car'," he told the jury.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He claimed Young told him McGuire was already dead as she had been suffocated.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>O'Keefe admitted he did not contact police, instead deciding to drink with Young and then go on a camping trip with friends.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He shared what had happened and his mates advised him to go to the police, but he instead returned home and watched a movie.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Detectives arrested O'Keefe on April 7 and questioned him for almost two hours over the murder of McGuire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The jury was told O'Keefe learnt in November 2024 that he would not be facing any charges.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The trial before Justice James Elliott continues.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/"><strong><span>National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service</span></strong></a><strong><span> 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/"><strong><span>Lifeline 13 11 14</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Help is available from the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.</span></strong></div></div>