Full Breakdown
Former Sydney Police Officer Faces Murder Trial Over 2024 Double Shooting
By Drooid · · How we work
The Alleged Double Homicide
Former senior constable Beau Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break-and-enter for the deaths of Jesse Baird, 26, and his partner Luke Davies, 29. The prosecution says the shootings occurred on 19 February 2024 at Baird’s Paddington terrace, with Lamarre-Condon using his police service pistol.
Relationship History and Prior Incidents
Lamarre-Condon and Baird had a brief romantic relationship in late 2022 and intermittently in 2023. Baird ended the relationship twice, most recently in November 2023, and asked for no further contact. Crown evidence describes an “obsessive and jealous infatuation” that led Lamarre-Condon to stalk Baird, delete contacts from Baird’s phone, and obtain CCTV footage using his police authority. On 17 August 2023 he allegedly broke into Baird’s home, stealing a phone and wallet. In early 2024 he sent a fabricated message claiming a cancerous tumour in his shoulder.
Evidence Presented
- CCTV: Over 14,000 hours from more than 200 locations, including a 17 February 2024 recording of Lamarre-Condon examining surfboard bags at a Westfield store and a 18 February 2024 clip of Baird and Davies at the Beresford in Surry Hills.
- Surfboard bags: Receipts show Lamarre-Condon paid $90 cash for a bag on 17 February and bought a second bag on the day of the shootings.
- Vehicle: A grey Tesla rented under his mother’s name was used to travel to the crime scene.
- Body disposal: Prosecutors say the bodies were moved to a hired van, an attempted sinking in a dam near Goulburn failed, and the remains were recovered near a Greek Orthodox monastery in Bungonia, about 200 km from the original site, eight days later.
- Trial length: The NSW Supreme Court expects the trial to run for roughly three months.
Prosecution’s Position
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC contended that Lamarre-Condon entered the home with a stolen key, disguised as an Uber Eats driver, and shot Baird twice—once at the base of the neck and a second “execution-style” shot. Hatfield asserted that Davies was shot in the head while attempting to call Triple Zero, and that the surfboard bags were bought to conceal the bodies. Detective Sasha Pinazza testified that the CCTV collection corroborated the timeline of planning, purchase of the bags, and post-shooting clean-up.
Defence’s Position
Defence barrister John Stratton SC argued that Lamarre-Condon went to the property to retrieve personal belongings, expecting it to be empty. He said the officer was “surprised” by Baird’s presence, leading to a struggle in which the gun discharged twice, killing Baird. The defence framed the subsequent actions—cleaning the scene and attempting to move the bodies—as the behaviour of a panicked police officer who “knew this looked bad.”
Conflicting Accounts of the Second Shooting
The prosecution maintains that Lamarre-Condon fired the shot that killed Davies, describing it as a deliberate act to eliminate a witness. The defence, supported by Stratton’s testimony, claims Davies’ death was self-inflicted during the second struggle. Both positions are reported by outlets such as *The Guardian*, *ABC*, *BBC* and *Nine*.