New CCTV footage and social media messages have been shown to the jury in the trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, who is accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in Sydney.
Lamarre-Condon, 29, is accused of shooting Mr Baird, 26, and his partner, Mr Davies, 29, at Mr Baird’s home in Paddington on 19 February 2024. He denies murder and says both men were killed during separate struggles in self-defence.
The fourth day of the trial in the Supreme Court of New South Wales included footage from a police collection totalling about 14,000 hours. Members of the Baird and Davies families became emotional as the recordings were played.
One sequence showed Lamarre-Condon at the Decathlon sports shop at Westfield Miranda, where prosecutors say he examined and bought a blue surfboard bag. The Crown alleges the bag was later used to dispose of the men’s bodies at Bungonia, in the Southern Tablelands.
Footage from Balmain police station was also shown, appearing to show Lamarre-Condon retrieving the alleged murder weapon from a lock-up.
Social media messages examined in court
The jury heard evidence about Lamarre-Condon’s Instagram activity and messages exchanged after his relationship with Mr Baird began to break down.
The prosecution and defence agree the pair had been in an on-and-off relationship during the year before the alleged shootings. The Crown argues that Lamarre-Condon became obsessed with Mr Baird after their separation in November and planned the killings.
Friends and colleagues told the court that Mr Baird had not wanted a serious relationship with Lamarre-Condon and had begun speaking to another man, whom he started dating casually after the separation.
That man told the court Lamarre-Condon added him to his Instagram “Close Friends” list in November, despite the pair having met only briefly and rarely speaking afterwards. Mr Baird was not included on the list.
Posts visible to the private group showed Lamarre-Condon sharing footage of himself and Mr Baird at a concert, accompanied by an emoji of hands forming a heart. Another post showed flowers with the caption: “when he’s in Melbourne but still sends you these.”
Mr Baird was in Melbourne for work at the time. His new partner later showed him the posts, and Mr Baird confronted Lamarre-Condon on 16 November, asking: “What’s this about?”
Lamarre-Condon replied that a friend had been in Melbourne with his daughter and had sent the flowers to his mother with a note. When Mr Baird asked to see the earlier story, Lamarre-Condon said: “Well it’s not on my story now so I can’t,” before adding: “I’m so confused … What is this about”.
A long-term friend of Mr Baird told the court he believed the posts and the decision to add Mr Baird’s new partner to the private list were intended to make them “jealous”.
The day after the confrontation, Lamarre-Condon saw Mr Baird and his new partner having breakfast at a café in Paddington. He later sent Mr Baird’s partner a lengthy message warning him to “be very careful and trust your gut”.
In the message, Lamarre-Condon claimed Mr Baird had led him to believe they would have a relationship, saying he had met his family and friends and that Mr Baird had told him his family knew about him.
He wrote that Mr Baird had “gaslit the whole situation” and said: “He literally destroyed me and it took me a while to recover.”
Mr Baird and his partner subsequently blocked Lamarre-Condon and began distancing themselves over the following weeks, in part because of work commitments.
The court also heard that a friend of Lamarre-Condon later told Mr Baird he had leukaemia and “didn’t have long”. Prosecutors argued that claim was fabricated.
Alleged preparation before the shootings
Two former female friends told the jury that Lamarre-Condon had asked them to find another gun about three months before the alleged murders. One of the women said she reported the conversation to police after the deaths.
The jury was also told that Lamarre-Condon cancelled dinner plans with a former friend on the night of the alleged killings, saying he had rolled his ankle while running in the rain.
The Crown alleges Mr Baird was killed at his Paddington home two weeks after he and Mr Davies announced their relationship on social media. Lamarre-Condon’s defence maintains that both men were shot during separate scuffles.
The trial continues.
