Ex-police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, pleaded not to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated breaking and entering. The trial began on Monday at the Supreme Court in Sydney, with Lamar-Condon repeating his not guilty plea in the courtroom. He appeared in a light grey suit, dark tie and white shirt.
He is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird, 26, and Baird's partner, Luke Davies, 29. The murders, according to the indictment, were committed with his police-issued firearm, and occurred at Baird's home in Paddington in February 2024. State prosecutor Brett Hatfield said that Baird and Lamar-Condor had become romantically involved from late 2022 to 2023, and that Lamar-Condor had developed an infatuation and obsession with Jesse Baird, which manifested in a series of compulsive behaviours. This behaviour escalated after Baird cut off all contact with Lamar-Condor in November 2023.
The prosecution alleges that Lamar-Condor began planning the murder of Jesse Baird in early 2024, and began researching ways to disguise the sound of gunfire. He hired a vehicle in his mother's name and purchased a surfboard to dispose of the bodies, while retaining his police-issued firearm, as he stated he had no need to use it.
On 19 February 2024, he wore a motorcycle helmet and dressed as a delivery driver for Uber Eats, after disguising himself. He entered Baird's house with a key he had previously obtained. Hatfield said that he went into the kitchen, where he shot Jesse twice, and then returned to the bedroom, where he shot Luke Davies. Their bodies were found almost 200km away in Bungonia, eight days after they were killed. The prosecution said that Lamar-Condor had previously attempted to drown the bodies in a nearby dam.
Lamar-Condor had offered to plead guilty to the alternative charge of manslaughter, but the prosecution rejected the offer. The jury selection began on Monday morning, with the jury selected. The case has attracted significant public attention, with members of the public and the media filling the entire courtroom, and the proceedings were followed by the families of Baird and Davies, including their mothers and brothers and sisters. The trial is expected to last another two to three months.
