Sydney Ex-Officer Accused of 'Jealous Infatuation' in Double Murder Trial
Prosecutors allege Beaumont Lamarre-Condon killed his ex-partner and his new boyfriend, then hid their bodies.
A former police officer accused of killing a Sydney couple with his service weapon was driven by a "jealous infatuation" with his ex-partner, a court heard on Monday.
Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of domestic violence-related murder and one of aggravated break and enter. Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon shot his ex-partner, 26-year-old TV presenter Jesse Baird, and Baird's new partner, 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, at a home in Sydney's Paddington suburb in February 2024.
The couple's bodies were discovered in a rural area approximately 200 kilometers away, concealed within surfboard bags. The trial is anticipated to last three months.
During his opening address, prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC outlined how Lamarre-Condon allegedly developed an "obsessive and jealous infatuation" with Baird following a brief romantic relationship. Hatfield stated this infatuation manifested in "compulsive behavior" that escalated after Baird ended all contact in November 2023. The prosecution claims Lamarre-Condon sent messages to Baird from a friend's phone, falsely stating he had cancer, stalked his ex-lover, and tampered with his car in the weeks after their breakup.
On the day of the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon reportedly set his alarm for 4:30 a.m. and sent a text to a friend reading, "I'll try to call you tonight and update you... there's no sign I'm doing it." According to prosecutors, he then switched to a burner phone, rented a car, and waited outside Baird's residence for three hours, disguised as an Uber driver. Hatfield also alleged that Lamarre-Condon had previously purchased a surfboard bag with the intention of disposing of Baird's body.
After entering Baird's home with a key he had obtained earlier, Lamarre-Condon allegedly shot Baird in the kitchen. Davies was killed in the bedroom as he attempted to contact emergency services, the court was told. Hatfield suggested that Lamarre-Condon had planned Baird's murder and killed Davies to "eliminate him as a witness."
In the hours and days following the alleged killings, Lamarre-Condon reportedly attempted to conceal the murders, including sending messages from Baird's mobile phone. The aggravated break and enter charge stems from an alleged incident in August 2023, where Lamarre-Condon is accused of breaking into Baird's home and stealing his phone and wallet.
Hatfield also informed the court that Lamarre-Condon had previously offered to plead guilty to a single charge of manslaughter related to Baird's death, an offer that was rejected.
Police were initially alerted to the suspected murders after bloodied items belonging to Baird and Davies were discovered in a bin in Sydney's south. Lamarre-Condon surrendered to police and was subsequently charged. Authorities located the couple's bodies eight days after the alleged murders occurred. New South Wales Police dismissed Lamarre-Condon in the weeks following his arrest on the murder charges.
A jury of 15 members was selected for the trial, with Justice Natalie Adams explaining that three additional jurors were chosen as a contingency for potential sickness or unforeseen circumstances. A typical jury consists of 12 people.