Full Breakdown
Former Sydney Police Officer on Trial for Double Murder
By Drooid · · How we work
The Alleged Shootings
On February 19, 2024 former senior constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, is accused of fatally shooting television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and Baird’s partner Luke Davies, 29, inside Baird’s Paddington terrace. The prosecution says Lamarre-Condon entered disguised as an Uber Eats driver, used a police service pistol and fired three shots. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break-and-enter. Defence barrister John Stratton SC argues the officer acted in self-defence during two separate struggles and panicked afterward.
Background & Context
Baird and Lamarre-Condon began a romantic relationship in late 2022. It ended in November 2023 after Baird accused the officer of an “excessive and jealous infatuation.” Prosecutors allege a subsequent campaign of stalking, including accessing Baird’s phone, deleting messages and posting deceptive Instagram stories. In August 2023 Lamarre-Condon allegedly broke into Baird’s home and stole his phone and wallet. The Crown also claims he fabricated a cancer diagnosis and used police authority to obtain CCTV footage of Baird at a local pub.
Timeline
- 17 August 2023 – Alleged break-in and theft of Baird’s phone and wallet.
- November 2023 – Relationship ends; Baird reports feeling “petrified.”
- 19 February 2024 – Fatal shootings at Baird’s Paddington home.
- 3 February 2024 – Baird’s friend Matthew Edwards asks if he has heard from Lamarre-Condon.
- 7 February 2024 – After Baird posts a photo with Davies, Lamarre-Condon tells a friend he has cut the tyres on Baird’s car.
Data & Statistics
- Victims: 2 (Baird, 26; Davies, 29).
- Weapon: police service pistol.
- Bodies recovered near a Greek Orthodox monastery in Bungonia, ?200 km from the crime scene, eight days after the killings.
Official Statements & Responses
Prosecution – Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC described the first two shots as “execution-style” and presented evidence of pre-meditated planning, including purchase of surfboard bags and concrete to conceal the bodies.
Defence – John Stratton SC maintained that Lamarre-Condon entered to retrieve personal belongings, was surprised by Baird’s presence, and that a struggle caused the gun to discharge. He emphasized that the officer “understandably panicked” and that cleaning the scene was the act of a man fearing wrongful perception, not a murderer. Justice Natalie Adams presides over the trial.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He just kept repeating, ‘he has a gun’.” — Jesse Baird, witness
- “He was almost falling in love with him,” — Matthew Edwards
- “This second shot was an execution-style shot,” — Brett Hatfield
- “In the struggle that followed, Mr Davies pulled the trigger and fatally shot himself," Mr Stratton said.” — John Stratton
On-the-Ground Reports
Friends testified that Baird repeatedly expressed fear of Lamarre-Condon’s gun. Corey Dean Thorpe described Baird as “petrified” and recounted the warning, “he has a gun.” Matthew Edwards recalled Baird saying his relationship with Davies was “the real deal” and that he was “so done” with Lamarre-Condon.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
A key dispute centers on how Luke Davies died. The prosecution says Lamarre-Condon shot Davies through a bedroom door after Baird’s death. The defence argues that during a second struggle the gun was flung, Davies seized it, and “in the struggle that followed, Mr Davies pulled the trigger and fatally shot himself.” Audio of three gunshots was presented, but the source of the third shot remains contested.
What’s Next
The trial, expected to last up to three months, will continue before Justice Natalie Adams. Both sides will present further forensic evidence and witness testimony to resolve the contested facts surrounding the February 2024 shootings.