The trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon began in Sydney on Monday. The former police officer, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter.
The trial is expected to last up to 12 weeks and will involve a large number of witnesses. Lamarre-Condon is accused of murdering television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and Baird’s partner, Luke Davies, 29, with his police-issued firearm at Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024.
On the first day of the trial the court heard that Lamarre-Condon had offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, but the offer was rejected by the prosecution.
As the trial began, the prosecution outlined its allegation that the then-serving police officer carried out what it described as “execution-style” killings after becoming infatuated with Baird and allegedly stalking him. In opening its case, the Crown told the jury it would allege that, in the lead-up to the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon fabricated a cancer diagnosis, misused his authority as a police officer to obtain CCTV footage, and broke into Baird’s home because of an alleged obsession with a man he had previously dated.
No evidence has yet been presented to the jury, but prosecutors have begun outlining the case they intend to present. In the first part of his opening address, prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC said Baird and Lamarre-Condon met in late 2022 and became involved in a romantic and sexual relationship. The relationship was described as one Lamarre-Condon hoped would become long-term, but which Baird viewed as “somewhat casual”.
The court heard prosecutors will allege that, while they were together, Lamarre-Condon accessed Baird’s phone, deleted messages from perceived romantic rivals on social media, and blocked them from Baird’s contact list. The relationship ended in April 2023, with Baird sending the police officer a message accusing him of “excessive and jealous infatuation”.
The Crown further alleges that Lamarre-Condon obtained footage of Baird visiting the Royal Hotel in Paddington while falsely claiming it was required for a police investigation. Investigators allegedly found the footage on his completer when it was seized after his arrest.
The crown also alleged that Lamarre-Condon had watched Baird through is bedroom window as he had sex with other men he had met, and told friends he had been following him around Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Prosecutors also allege he broke into Baird’s home on multiple occasions and, on 17 August 2023, stole his wallet and mobile phone. The court heard prosecutors will argue that Baird awoke to find a man standing over his bed before chasing him out of the house and down the street. He did not realise it was Lamarre-Condon.
The pair resumed their relationship in September 2023, but Baird ended it for a second time in November. Prosecutors allege the break-up followed Lamarre-Condon posting a photograph of himself posing with a bouquet of flowers on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: “when he’s in Melbourne but still sends you these” and a heart-eyes emoji. The post was allegedly made to a friend’s account from which Baird had been blocked. Prosecutors described it as a message directed at potential romantic rivals.
When Baird confronted Lamarre-Condon about the post, prosecutors say he claimed it was a misunderstanding and that the flowers had been given to his mother by his stepfather. The Crown says it will present evidence alleging that Lamarre-Condon then rushed to a florist, obtained an identical bouquet, asked his mother to pose with it and sent the image to Baird.
In a text message read to the court during the opening address, Baird reportedly challenged Lamarre-Condon over the explanation and ended the relationship, asking him not to contact him again.
Shortly after the second break-up, prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon sent Baird a 1,600-word message from a friend’s phone claiming he had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his shoulder and was likely to lose his arm. The message stated that he was taking very strong medication, which allegedly explained his behaviour. The Crown said it will present evidence that the diagnosis was fictitious and that Lamarre-Condon had never been diagnosed with cancer.
The Crown alleges that in February 2024 Lamarre-Condon began planning Baird’s murder. Prosecutors say they will present evidence that he investigated methods of concealing gunfire, hired a vehicle under his mother’s name, and purchased a surfboard bag that could be used to transport a body.
On 7 February 2024, the Crown alleges that Lamarre-Condon told a friend he had slashed the tyres on Baird’s vehicle after seeing a photograph of Baird with his new partner, Luke Davies. Prosecutors also allege he asked another friend what effect water in a diesel fuel tank would have. Shortly afterwards, Baird’s ute broke down and his mechanic said the cause was water in the fuel system.
Baird had met Davies on New Year’s Eve and their relationship developed quickly. Prosecutors allege that when Lamarre-Condon saw photographs of the couple on social media, his alleged stalking behaviour escalated.
On the morning of 19 February 2024, prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon woke at 4:30am and drove a vehicle rented under his mother’s name to the Paddington terrace that Baird shared with two housemates. The Crown alleges he turned off his mobile phone, began using a “burner phone” purchased under the name Bob Ballard, watched the property and waited for the housemates to leave before allegedly dressing as an Uber Eats delivery driver, wearing a motorcycle helmet and entering the property using a key prosecutors allege had previously been stolen.
The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon then entered the kitchen and shot Baird twice, once at the base of the neck and once in the temple. Prosecutors described the second shot as an “execution-style” shot.
Lamarre-Condon is accused of using his police service weapon to commit the murders, a firearm prosecutors say he should not have possessed while off duty.
Davies, who was in an upstairs bedroom, attempted to call Triple Zero but was shot through the bedroom door, the Crown alleges.
“The Crown’s case is that the accused planned the murder of Jesse Baird and deliberately and intentionally murdered Luke Davies so as to eliminate him as a witness to the murder of Jesse Baird,” Hatfield told the jury.
The Crown further alleges that Lamarre-Condon returned to the house several times throughout the day in an attempt to clean the scene, and later sought assistance from a friend to dispose of Baird’s blood-soaked clothing and furniture in a skip bin in Cronulla. Their discovery the following day sparked a police investigation.
Prosecutors also allege Lamarre-Condon sent messages from Baird’s phone in an attempt to give the impression he was still alive after the time of his death. The Crown says he later attempted unsuccessfully to dispose of the bodies in rural New South Wales, including a failed attempt to sink them in a dam.
The bodies were recovered eight days later, approximately 200 kilometres from the crime scene, near a Greek Orthodox monastery in Bungonia. Hatfield told the jury the location was identified after Lamarre-Condon provided investigators with an approximate location.
The Crown is expected to continue its opening address on Tuesday, while the defence has yet to deliver its opening statement.
Fifteen jurors have been sworn in for the trial, which is expected to take up to three months before Justice Natalie Adams. The three additional jurors have been empanelled in the event that members of the jury become unable to complete the trial. If more than 12 jurors remain at the conclusion of the case, a ballot will determine which 12 jurors deliberate on the verdict. Families members of both Jesse Baird and Luke Davies attended court on Monday.
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