Full Breakdown
Beau Lamarre-Condon murder trial: alleged double killing in Paddington
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Alleged double murder and trial
Former senior constable Beau Lamarre-Condon (31) is on trial for the fatal shooting of Jesse Baird (26, TV presenter) and Luke Davies (29, Qantas flight attendant) in Baird’s Paddington terrace on 19 February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break-and-enter. The case is before Justice Natalie Adams in the New South Wales Supreme Court.
Background and motive allegations
Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon developed an “obsessive and jealous infatuation” with Baird after a brief romance in 2022-2023. The defence, led by John Stratton SC, argues the shootings occurred in self-defence during two separate struggles, and that Lamarre-Condon “panicked” and attempted to clean the scene rather than conceal a pre-meditated crime.
Evidence and forensic findings
- Blood-stained items recovered from a skip bin at the Cronulla Bowls Club on 20 February included clothing, a silver watch, a leather pouch and AFL-branded shorts still in packaging.
- Footprint analysis linked a shoe tread on a blood-stained bedsheet to a pair of Adidas shoes later found near the bodies in Bungonia.
- DNA from the grip and trigger of Lamarre-Condon’s police pistol matched Davies, according to the prosecution.
- Luminol testing on 22 February highlighted a “significant amount of blood” flowing down joists and saturating timber beneath the bedroom floor.
- Receipts demonstrate Lamarre-Condon purchased bleach, gloves, cable ties, tape, garbage bags, a wheelbarrow, quick-set concrete and a second surfboard bag between 19 and 23 February, totaling over $2,300.
Official statements and responses
- Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC contends that Lamarre-Condon deliberately cleaned the scene to conceal evidence and used the skip bin as a dumping site for the victims’ belongings.
- Defence lawyer John Stratton SC maintains that the accused “panicked” after an accidental discharge during a struggle and that the cleaning supplies reflect a frightened response, not pre-meditation.
- Justice Natalie Adams scheduled a site visit for the jury on 14 October, noting that “markers will be placed around the premises … and pointed out by the crime-scene officer currently giving evidence.”
Conflicting reports and gaps
- The prosecution describes the bodies as being placed in surfboard bags and later dumped near a Greek Orthodox monastery in Bungonia, while the defence suggests the bodies may have been moved after an initial attempt to conceal them in a dam.
- Evidence of Lamarre-Condon’s alleged use of Baird’s phone to send messages after the shootings is presented by the Crown, but the defence argues the statements were fabricated by media reports and not corroborated by independent logs.
What’s next
The jury’s scheduled 14 October site visit will allow them to view marked forensic evidence in the Paddington terrace. The trial, projected to last three months, will continue with further testimony on motive, forensic analysis and the credibility of the alleged planning.