Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, has gone on trial at the New South Wales Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to two counts of domestic violence-related murder over the deaths of his ex-boyfriend Jesse Baird, 26, and Baird's new partner Luke Davies, 29, inside a Sydney terrace in February 2024.
The former police senior constable has also pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated break and enter after allegedly breaking into Baird's share-house and stealing his wallet in August 2023.
During opening statements on Tuesday, defence barrister John Stratton SC told the court that Lamarre-Condon went into Baird's Paddington house dressed as an Uber Eats driver in a motorbike helmet and high-visibility clothing to recover jewellery rather than to kill him, saying his client "didn't want to go through the embarrassment" of meeting Baird that morning.
Stratton said Baird was holding a knife and did not recognise Lamarre-Condon. He told the court Lamarre-Condon carried his police firearm because he was trained never to leave a gun in a vehicle, and that a struggle ensued over the weapon before it went off, fatally wounding Baird.
The defence claimed the gun was flung into the living room before Lamarre-Condon started walking down the hall while calling Triple-0. He then came across Davies, grabbed him by the arm, and pushed the gun away before Davies pulled the trigger and fatally shot himself.
Stratton told the court his client acted in self-defence and never intended to harm anyone. "After that, the accused panicked, he knew it looked bad," Stratton said. "He cleaned up as much as he could and threw the knife into the yard of a house on Lawson street."
Stratton added that Lamarre-Condon let himself into Baird's home using a key during the alleged August 2023 incident, acknowledging his client took the break-up badly and "did stupid things, like looking through Baird's phone and deleting messages," while denying any escalating violence or threats.
Prosecution details body disposal attempt
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC presented evidence regarding alleged attempts by Lamarre-Condon to conceal the bodies of Baird and Davies following the deaths on February 19, 2024.
The court heard that on February 20, 2024, Lamarre-Condon asked a friend to drive him to a property in Bungonia, about 200 kilometres southwest of Sydney, where he tried unsuccessfully to sink the bodies in a dam using concrete weights.
The friend later told police that Lamarre-Condon's demeanour changed during the drive home, when he asked her about her anxiety medication and "if she thought about ending it all." By February 22, three days after the killings, Lamarre-Condon knew police wanted to speak with him, and he dumped the bodies outside the fence line of a Greek monastery about 20 kilometres from the dam.
Hatfield alleged that in June 2025, Lamarre-Condon sent a handwritten statement to investigators through his lawyers, falsely claiming his friend, known under the pseudonym Elizabeth Kennedy, urged him on Signal to hide the bodies. The statement claimed Kennedy told him, "No, you can’t, they won’t believe you. I watch a lot of crime documentaries. We have to hide the bodies," and quoted the Taylor Swift song "No Body, No Crime," saying, "No, no, no, you can’t. They won’t believe you, this is like Taylor Swift’s song: No Body, No Crime. We have to get rid of them straight away."
The Crown rejected the statement as a lie, noting Lamarre-Condon had also been scheduled to work as a police officer at an upcoming Taylor Swift concert.
While on his way to surrender at Bondi police station, Lamarre-Condon phoned to make a complaint about the New South Wales Police Force, saying, "I've been bullied, but when I reported it, no action was taken.. All this death and trauma and psychological abuse.. Did I say trauma already?.. It has caused me to have symptoms of schizophrenia.. sorry, can we start again? Delete the whole thing, we'll just keep it short and sweet."
After surrendering, Lamarre-Condon claimed he was on a mental health plan for anxiety and took medication for depression and schizophrenia that he could not name. Hatfield confirmed to the court that Lamarre-Condon was taking no mental health medications and that mental health impairment forms no part of his defence.
Mother gives tearful testimony in court
Jesse Baird's mother, Helen Baird, was called as a prosecution witness after lunch on Tuesday and quickly became emotional, breaking down in tears while describing her close relationship with her son. "We were very close, we spoke all the time, every week," she told the court.
Ms Baird said her son was open about his sexuality and relationships, explaining that he told her he did not want a committed relationship with Lamarre-Condon. Asked by Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC whether Baird told her they went hiking, had lunch, and went four-wheel driving while maintaining he did not want a serious relationship, Ms Baird replied, "Yes, definitely."
Ms Baird testified that her son reported concerning behaviour by Lamarre-Condon, including stealing his phone and deleting contacts, agreeing he was concerned Lamarre-Condon was becoming obsessive. She recalled being told by her son that a female friend had claimed Lamarre-Condon had cancer.
Ms Baird told the court she was happy when her son texted "Luke is my boyfriend," recalling that she sent a heart emoji and replied, "I'm so happy for you both," before becoming emotional on the stand.
Family members of both victims attended the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday. Gary Baird was pictured entering the court holding hands with a woman, while Sandra Davies arrived supported by family members and wearing a black and white shirt.
Witnesses describe privacy breaches and stalking
Police officer Mitchell Quercigrossi, a former colleague and friend of Lamarre-Condon, testified that the accused said "It sounds crazy, I love him" after his first few dates with Baird. Quercigrossi said Lamarre-Condon reported loosely dating Baird but wanting more, while Baird wished to keep things casual after leaving a long-term relationship. "I think he was disappointed because he wanted a relationship, but he was happy to wait until Jesse was ready," Quercigrossi said, adding he advised Lamarre-Condon not to wait.
Quercigrossi testified that at 11:43pm on April 14, 2023, Lamarre-Condon texted him asking, "Call me when you have two mins, I need you to be honest with me... Tell me what you think about these messages, this is the guy he met on the [Gold Coast] 2.5 weeks ago. Am I just being stupid in banging around? Anyways, I just left Jesse's house while he was asleep and texted him saying I was sick."
After receiving screenshots of messages taken from Baird's phone, Quercigrossi received a text from Lamarre-Condon saying, "Haha and to think I just told you I'm calm and not crazy, I need your advice." Quercigrossi replied, "So you went through his phone? So, so crazy." Lamarre-Condon claimed Baird gave him the phone to change a background, but admitted, "yes, I clicked on the message."
Courtney Baird, Jesse Baird's sister, testified about a half-hour conversation with her brother after Christmas dinner in 2023, the last time she saw him. She alleged her brother was fearful because Lamarre-Condon was a police officer with a weapon. "Jesse told us that [Lamarre-Condon] would often post things on Instagram to make out like he and Jesse were together and that Jesse was sending him flowers," she alleged. "But Jesse had been blocked by Beau so others would tell Jesse these things."
Courtney Baird told the court her brother believed he was being followed after receiving messages saying "you looked really good in the gym tonight" or praising his outfits while out for coffee or meals. She said he was "fearful, scared, shaken up a little," but decided to let it go as they had not been in touch for months. Referring to Davies, she added, "I didn't, I wish I did."
An eight-year friend of Baird and Davies testified that he was mysteriously unfollowed by Baird's Instagram account on March 14, 2023. Baird confirmed he had not unfollowed him, texting, "It was so weird. I woke up this morning and about 20 people had been unfollowed from my account, you included. I think someone has access to my account." The same issue occurred in November 2023, leading Baird to change his password.
Investigator outlines police firearm rules
Detective Sasha Pinazza, the lead investigator and first prosecution witness, detailed Lamarre-Condon's police career, noting he graduated from the academy in 2017 as a probationary officer, rose to constable, and became a senior constable. At the time of the alleged murders in February 2024, he worked as a youth engagement officer in Miranda, running programs in Rockdale to connect with troubled youths, and was not involved in criminal investigations.
Pinazza testified that police officers are forbidden from carrying firearms off duty and must secure them in authorized facilities, with exceptions only for overnight motel stays where travel to a facility is impractical. She confirmed that storing a firearm at home requires explicit permission and that Lamarre-Condon never requested permission to keep his service firearm at home.
The court adjourned for the day following the testimony, with proceedings set to resume at 10:00am on Wednesday.
