HE DID EVERYTHING TO SAVE THE GIRL HE LOVED..! – MENTONE GRAMMAR STUDENT LACHLAN McLAREN AWARDED GOLD MEDAL FOR BRAVERY AFTER SACRIFICING HIS LIFE TO SAVE HIS GIRLFRIEND ON HIS 16TH BIRTHDAY.
Lachlan McLaren heroically pushed his partner out of the path of an out-of-control ute, losing his life on his 16th birthday.
By Digital Staff
A 16-year-old boy who died pushing his girlfriend out of the path of a speeding ute in a final act of heroism has been honoured with a bravery award only given to a few dozen Australians.
Lachlan McLaren was walking his girlfriend Ella Mahony home in Mentone, in Melbourne’s south, after she finished her shift at Woolworths in 2021.
A hired ute, driven by 32-year-old Christopher Hennessy, was speeding along the wrong side of the Nepean Highway when it veered onto the footpath.
McLaren moved Mahony out of the way of the vehicle and took the full impact. He died on his 16th birthday.
Hennessy, who was high on ice and unlicensed, had driven 800m in the wrong direction on the highway and was eventually sentenced to 16 years behind bars on a charge of culpable driving causing death.
Now, five years after his death, McLaren has been awarded Australia’s highest honour for bravery — the Gold Medal for Bravery.
His school, Melbourne’s Mentone Grammar, paid tribute to him and his award in a post on Wednesday.
“Mentone Grammar is incredibly proud to recognise Lachlan McLaren (Class of 2023), who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Bravery at Government House on Wednesday 19 August 2026,” the school said.
“Lachlan received this extraordinary honour for his remarkable courage and selflessness in protecting another person from harm, an act that ultimately cost him his life.
“The Gold Medal for Bravery is the highest recognition for an act of bravery in Australia. Since the awards were established in 1874, only 35 people have received the Gold Medal for Bravery.
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“Lachlan’s courage and character continue to leave a lasting impact. His legacy lives on through the Lachlan McLaren Foundation, established in his honour to ensure his story continues to inspire others to make a meaningful difference in the community.”
Mentone Grammar said it continued to uplift their former student’s legacy.
“As a member of the Class of 2023, Lachlan will always hold a special place within the Mentone Grammar community. A dedicated and accomplished Scholar, he received 10 Academic Merit and Excellence Awards during his time at the School,” the school said.
“His courage, selflessness and instinct to put another person before himself reflect an extraordinary strength of character, and his legacy continues to inspire those who knew him and many who are now learning his story.
“We extend our love and thoughts to Lachlan’s family, friends and the wider community as they accept this significant honour on his behalf.”
McLaren’s parents thanked the school for their tribute.
“Thank you, Mentone Grammar, for your incredibly thoughtful and heartfelt tribute to Lachie,” they said.
“As his parents, seeing Lachie remembered and his extraordinary bravery recognised by the school community means more to us than we can put into words.
“Lachie spent some of his happiest and most formative years at Mentone Grammar. It was a place where he made lifelong friendships, shared countless memories and was able to simply be the happy, carefree young man that he was.
“To see his school now honour his courage and recognise the person he was is deeply moving for Michelle and me. Thank you for helping keep Lachie’s memory alive and for ensuring that his legacy continues to inspire others. He will always be a much-loved part of the Mentone Grammar family—and forever our beautiful Lachie.”
Driver learns his fate
Hennessey was sentenced in 2022 in Victoria’s County Court to 16 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 11 years.
Judge Michael Tinney described the driver as “death on wheels” and said he should have not been behind the wheel, as he was on drugs, did not have a licence and had not slept for days.
McLaren’s father Carey spoke outside court after the sentence, saying the family were still “overwhelmed with unbearable shock, anguish and despair”.
“Lachie’s killer has been held accountable for his selfish, negligent and despicable actions,” he said.
In a plea hearing in 2022, McLaren’s girlfriend told the County Court in a victim impact statement she had since been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I lost Lachie and part of myself that day, two things I will never get back,” Mahony’s statement read.
McLaren’s mother Michelle revealed she had sat with her son’s body for hours, willing him to open his eyes.
“I had to walk away and leave my baby in a box and it shattered my heart into a million pieces,” she said.
