Beau Lamarre-Condon testifies in double murder trial

This week, a NSW court heard from Beau Lamarre-Condon in his trial for the alleged murders of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in 2024.

Prosecutors have argued Lamarre-Condon was motivated by an “obsessive and jealous infatuation with Baird” after a brief relationship with him.

This week, the former police officer gave evidence, telling the court: “I’m responsible for [Baird’s] death but it wasn’t intentional.”

Here’s what you need to know.

Background

Lamarre-Condon and Baird were romantically linked in 2022 and part of 2023, but Baird broke things off.

Baird and Davies began dating in early 2024.

Jesse Baird was 26, and had been a TV presenter and an AFL goal umpire.

Luke Davies was 29, working as a Qantas flight attendant.

Alleged murders

Police began investigating Baird and Davies’ disappearance in mid-February 2024, after neighbours reported hearing gunshots from Baird’s inner-Sydney home.

Following a search, Lamarre-Condon handed himself in to police and was later charged with murder.

The bodies of Baird and Davies were later found at a rural property in Bungonia, near the regional city of Goulburn.

Prosecution

Since the trial began in September, Crown Prosecutor Brett Hatfield has detailed allegations against Lamarre-Condon, including:

In the months before the men’s deaths, Lamarre-Condon broke into Baird’s house, stealing his wallet and phone.

Lamarre-Condon purchased a surfboard bag with a friend, and was heard asking a friend if he would fit inside the bag.

The fact that three gunshots can be heard on the morning of the men’s deaths in a neighbour’s CCTV footage.

Hatfield said Lamarre-Condon told a friend he was in “a bit of trouble,” before buying cleaning supplies and a second surfboard bag.

He alleged the bags were used to hide the men’s bodies.

Lamarre-Condon allegedly transported the men’s bodies to a farm near Goulburn in NSW’s Southern Tablelands, where he unsuccessfully attempted to sink them.

The bodies were later found at a monastery around 20km from the farm, and the men’s belongings were found in a skip bin in Cronulla in Sydney’s south.

Defence

On Thursday, Lamarre-Condon began giving evidence.

Defendants in criminal trials are not required to give evidence and judges are not supposed to suggest that staying silent implies guilt.

On the stand, Lamarre-Condon detailed his on-and-off relationship with Baird, including that Baird had left a house key in his mailbox for Lamarre-Condon.

Lamarre-Condon said he had previously entered Baird’s home with the key and gone through Baird’s phone while he was asleep.

He also said he poured water in Baird’s petrol tank in a “tit-for-tat” response to scratches on his car, which he thought Baird had caused.

Lamarre-Condon said he faced homophobia and bullying during his time in the NSW Police, and had on three occasions planned to die by suicide.

On Friday, he told the court that the night before the alleged murders, he was in a headspace where he could have either returned his police gun or died by suicide.

Lamarre-Condon said he visited Baird’s home to collect “expensive” clothes he had left behind.

He said he dressed as an Uber Eats driver to avoid the possibility to having to have a conversation with Baird as he walked up the house.

After he let himself into the house, in Lamarre-Condon’s telling, Baird thought he was a thief, and came at him with a knife.

Lamarre-Condon said he had his police gun on him, and that he aimed his gun at Baird’s right shoulder and fired.

Then, he and Baird physically struggled, and he “accidentally discharge[d] the gun” at Baird.

He then called Triple Zero.

The court was played a recording of the call.

Lamarre-Condon said Davies then came into the room, took the gun and pointed it at him.

The accused said he grabbed Davies’ wrist, and the gun went off, striking Davies.

Lamarre-Condon said he moved the two bodies into Baird’s bedroom and had a panic attack.

He then told a friend he had shot Baird.

The accused said his friend recommended he try to sink the bodies.

He told the court he turned himself in as he “knew what [he] had done” to Baird “was manslaughter”, but was “fearful” as he thought he would be in danger in jail due to his job.

Lamarre-Condon said he “tried to give as much detail” as possible to police about the locations of the bodies.

What’s next?

Lamarre-Condon’s trial is expected to run for three months in total, with another six weeks ahead.

The case will return to the court on Monday.