Police officer obsessed with celebrities, jury told during murder trial
A former police officer accused of murdering his TV presenter boyfriend and another man allegedly asked a friend to dispose of a phone and described his job as 'devil's work'.
Jurors in the murder trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon were told of his obsession with celebrities and his disparaging remarks about his own profession. Lamarre-Condon is accused of murdering his ex-partner, TV presenter Jesse Baird, and Baird's boyfriend, Luke Davies.
During a visit to Baird's former residence and sites where evidence was found, Justice Natalie Adams instructed jurors to view the evidence in context. Lamarre-Condon did not attend the viewing.
Forensic biologist Lisa-Ann Wedervang testified that DNA belonging to Luke Davies was a major contributor to the DNA found on Lamarre-Condon's service firearm, which is believed to be the murder weapon. Lamarre-Condon himself could not be excluded as a minor contributor to the DNA mixture on the gun. The court heard that Davies' DNA could have transferred to the gun if Lamarre-Condon had touched Davies' body before handling the firearm. Lamarre-Condon claims he struggled with Davies for the gun, resulting in an accidental self-inflicted gunshot, while the prosecution alleges Lamarre-Condon shot Davies through a door.
A former friend of Lamarre-Condon testified that they bonded over a shared interest in tracking down celebrities, including Pitbull and members of the Kardashian family. The friend recounted a conversation where Lamarre-Condon referred to his police work as "devil's work" when discussing his opposition to certain freedoms.
On February 20, the day after the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon contacted the friend, asking for a favor. He claimed to have stolen police files and wanted the friend to dispose of a phone, providing specific instructions to do so at a distance from her home and to throw it in water. Lamarre-Condon later told the friend he believed he was being set up by police after detectives visited his mother's home looking for him. The friend, initially unaware of the gravity of the situation, became concerned after seeing news reports about Baird and Davies and subsequently contacted the police in Western Australia.