Ex-Officer Claims Self-Defense in Double Murder Trial

Beau Lamarre-Condon's defense team argued in the NSW Supreme Court that the former police officer acted in self-defense when he fatally shot his ex-boyfriend, Jesse Baird, and Baird's new partner, Luke Davies.

John Stratton, Lamarre-Condon's defense lawyer, told the court that his client went to Baird's home to retrieve jewelry, not to commit murder. Stratton stated that Lamarre-Condon did not want to face the embarrassment of encountering Baird that morning. He entered the residence disguised as an Uber Eats driver to avoid suspicion if anyone arrived. According to the defense, Baird was holding a knife and did not recognize Lamarre-Condon due to his motorbike helmet and high-visibility clothing. Lamarre-Condon was carrying his firearm because, as a trained police officer, he was instructed never to leave his weapon in his vehicle where it could be stolen.

Stratton asserted that Baird grabbed the gun, leading to a struggle during which the weapon discharged, killing Baird. The defense claims the gun then landed in the living room, and Lamarre-Condon proceeded down the hall while calling emergency services. He then encountered Luke Davies, Baird's new boyfriend. Stratton said Lamarre-Condon grabbed Davies by the arm and pushed the gun away. Davies then allegedly pulled the trigger, fatally shooting himself.

"After that, the accused panicked, he knew it looked bad," Stratton told the court. "He cleaned up as much as he could and threw the knife into the yard of a house on Lawson street." Stratton also maintained that Lamarre-Condon did not break into Baird's house in August 2023, but rather used a key that had been given to him. The court heard that Lamarre-Condon had taken his breakup with Baird hard and engaged in disruptive behavior, such as accessing Baird's phone and deleting messages.

Security footage played in court captured gunshot sounds from the front yard of Jesse Baird's neighbor on the day of the alleged murders. Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield alleged that these three shots were the same ones that killed Baird and Davies. Hatfield also stated that Lamarre-Condon told a friend he had "killed two people" and that his police career had "f***ed me up." When questioned by the friend about how he killed them, Lamarre-Condon allegedly responded with "Pew pew."

The court heard that after the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon stopped at a Westfield shopping center in Miranda, Sydney, where he purchased a second surfboard case for $85. He then allegedly visited a Bunnings store in Alexandria and bought a bucket, mop, bleach, cable ties, cleaning cloths, tape, and garbage bags. The prosecution claims these purchases were for cleaning up the crime scenes.

While en route to surrender to police, Lamarre-Condon allegedly made a complaint about the NSW Police Force. He reportedly spoke about experiencing bullying and a lack of action on his reports, mentioning "death and trauma and psychological abuse" and suggesting it caused him symptoms of schizophrenia. He then asked to restart the call. He surrendered to detectives in Bondi, where he allegedly stated he was taking medication for depression and schizophrenia but could not recall the specific names.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC countered that Lamarre-Condon was not on any mental health medication and that mental health impairment was not part of his defense. Baird's sister, Courtney, testified that her brother had expressed fear of Lamarre-Condon, citing his status as a police officer with a weapon and instances where Lamarre-Condon allegedly blocked Baird's phone contacts. She also stated her brother believed he was being followed, receiving messages from Lamarre-Condon commenting on his appearance at the gym or when dining out.

Jesse Baird's mother became emotional on the stand while testifying about her son.