Beau Lamarre-Condon trial live updates: Opening addresses continue in former NSW police officer’s double murder trial

Key PostsOpenings continue in double murder trialBy Michaela WhitbournHello and welcome to our live coverage of Beau Lamarre-Condon’s double murder trial in the NSW Supreme Court.The former police officer has pleaded not guilty to murdering Sydney couple Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, in the eastern suburbs on February 19, 2024.Beau Lamarre-Condon (left) is accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.He has also pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated breaking and entering into Baird’s Paddington home in August 2023 and stealing a mobile phone and wallet belonging to Baird.A 15-person jury has been empanelled for the trial, which is expected to run for up to 12 weeks. In the event all 15 jurors are still present at the end of the trial, a ballot will be conducted to reduce their number to 12.Yesterday, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, started delivering his opening address to the jury. This sets out the Crown’s case and is not evidence, but it is a guide to the evidence the prosecution expects to call in the months ahead.Lamarre-Condon is entitled to the presumption of innocence and his barrister John Stratton, SC, will deliver an opening address today after Hatfield finishes his remarks.During his opening yesterday, Hatfield alleged that Lamarre-Condon developed an “an obsessive and jealous infatuation” with Baird after a short relationship that started in late 2022 and was ended for the first time by Baird in April 2023.After a brief resumption of their relationship later that year, it was “firmly and irretrievably ended” by Baird in November 2023, the Crown says.The Crown case is that the murder of Baird was premeditated but that he killed Davies, Baird’s new boyfriend, to eliminate a witness to his crime.Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.Latest Posts10.32am‘The sound of the three shots filled the courtroom’By Perry DuffinBeau Lamarre-Condon made notes while the jury heard audio recordings from the moment he allegedly murdered Jesse Baird and Luke Davies inside Baird’s Paddington home.He has pleaded not guilty to both counts of murder.Footage from a motion-triggered camera from the opposite side of the street, at 9:49am, detected bursts of audio on the morning of 19 February, 2024.Beau Lamarre-Condon in the NSW Supreme Court on the first day of his trial.Rocco FazzariThe sound of the three shots filled the courtroom on Tuesday morning.10.26amAnother bullet hole allegedly discovered this yearBy Michaela WhitbournThe Crown alleges that “an important piece of evidence was discovered belatedly and late” in the bedroom of the Paddington home, where it says Luke Davies was shot by Beau Lamarre-Condon.A bullet hole in the door was allegedly covered up by a “plastic stick-on hook to the door and a stick-on felt pad on the hallway side of the door”. It was only recently discovered by police in July 2026, the prosecution says.10.22amAlleged bullet hole in kitchen floorBy Michaela WhitbournThe Crown foreshadows that a ballistics expert will give evidence in the trial about bullet marks at the scene, including a bullet hole in the kitchen floor.The jury is shown an image that the prosecution says depicts the hole, along with a separate photo of an alleged “ricochet mark” on the kitchen wall.The prosecution case is that Lamarre-Condon shot Jesse Baird twice in the kitchen of his Paddington home with his police-issued weapon, but that he had changed at least some of the bullets in the pistol before the alleged premeditated killing.Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murder.10.16am‘Sound of the gunshots’By Michaela WhitbournThe Crown has played CCTV footage that it alleges records the sound of the three shots that killed Jesse Baird and Luke Davies on February 19, 2024.“I’ll play you now the sound of the gunshots,” Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, said.The footage, the prosecution says, records the first shot was at 9.49am and 33 seconds, the second shot was four seconds later, and the third shot was at 9.50am and 28 seconds.Hatfield says that Luke Davies placed a Triple Zero call at 9.50am and 3 seconds before Lamarre-Condon allegedly shot him seconds later.The jury is also shown a floorplan of Baird’s Paddington home.10.08amCCTV image shown in courtBy Michaela WhitbournThe hearing has resumed and Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, is expected to complete his opening address this morning.Hatfield has divided his opening into five parts, including the relationship between Lamarre-Condon and Baird, the accused’s steps in preparation for the alleged murder of Baird, the alleged double murder, alleged concealment of the offences and post-offence conduct.Hatfield is now showing the jury a still image from CCTV footage which he says depicts Lamarre-Condon in his “disguise” before the alleged murders: a high-visibility yellow jacket, black pants with a “reflective symbol” on them, a motorcycle helmet, backpack and Uber Eats bag.He alleges the footage showed Lamarre-Condon waited on the street of Baird’s home for about 20 minutes after about 9.10am on February 19, 2024, and appeared to be watching the terrace house.“We’ll invite you to infer he was steeling himself for what he was about to do,” Hatfield told the jury.Luke Davies mother, Sandra Davies, wept as the CCTV footage was played in court.10.01amAlleged stalking, obsessive behavioursBy Michaela WhitbournThe Crown has alleged that Beau Lamarre-Condon’s “infatuation and obsessive conduct” towards Jesse Baird during and after their casual and short-lived relationship culminated in his plan to murder Baird in early 2024.The prosecution case is that the alleged behaviour escalated over time, and included breaking in to Baird’s Paddington home more than once and driving past the home.A court sketch of Beau Lamarre-Condon in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday.Rocco FazzariCrown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, alleged the accused also engaged in the following behaviours.The CCTV footage: Lamarre-Condon allegedly misused his authority as a police officer in May 2023, after Baird ended their relationship for the first time, to obtain CCTV footage of Baird on a date at a Paddington pub. The Crown says this footage was “found on his personal computer when it was seized”.The alleged break-in: He allegedly broke into Baird’s home in August 2023 and stole his mobile phone and wallet. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to this charge.Alleged spying: The Crown has foreshadowed that Lamarre-Condon told two people that he “watched Jesse Baird have sex with other men through Baird’s bedroom window”, which was visible from his Paddington street. The people he allegedly told are expected to be called as witnesses in the trial.The phone: Baird allegedly ended the relationship permanently in November 2023 after discovering that Lamarre-Condon had been accessing his mobile phone, deleting items and blocking people.The Instagram post: Lamarre-Condon allegedly posted a photo of a bunch of flowers on Instagram that gave the impression they had been sent to him by Baird, and limited the audience for the post to people he believed were his “romantic rivals”. The caption allegedly read: “When he’s in Melbourne, but still sends you these.”The Crown alleges Baird confronted Lamarre-Condon about this post and the accused lied and claimed the flowers were a gift from his stepfather to his mother. The accused allegedly rushed to a florist to have a replica bouquet made and penned a “fake note” from his stepfather to support this narrative.Alleged fake cancer diagnosis: Hatfield alleged Lamarre-Condon had told Baird he was “completely done with you” in November 2023 after Baird ended their relationship. However, he allegedly used his friend’s Instagram account to pose as her to send Baird a message that was “over 16,000 words long” claiming he had been diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his shoulder which could end with his arm amputated.Alleged car tampering comments: The Crown foreshadowed the court would hear evidence Lamarre-Condon told one friend he had “had Baird’s tyres cut on his car” and asked another friend “what would happen if someone added water to a diesel engine”.There was evidence Baird had bought a diesel ute, the court heard. Baird’s mechanic is expected to give evidence that Baird’s car broke down on Boxing Day 2023, with water having caused the problems.9.34amThe alleged disguiseBy Michaela WhitbournThe Crown also alleges that Lamarre-Condon was seen outside Baird’s Paddington home shortly before the alleged double murder dressed in a disguise.“He can be seen walking [on Baird’s street] at around 9.10am, at that point disguised as an Uber Eats delivery driver,” Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, said yesterday.“He was wearing a motorcycle helmet, high-visibility clothing, and carrying an Uber Eats paper bag with something in it. He was carrying somewhere his NSW police service ... semi-automatic pistol.”9.16amThe alleged premeditation and planningBy Michaela WhitbournThe Crown says Baird “firmly and irretrievably ended” the casual relationship with Lamarre-Condon in mid-November 2023.“All communication effectively stopped from Jesse Baird from this point, when he indicated that he did not want the accused to contact him any more,” Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, said in his opening address yesterday.“Despite this being made clear, you will hear that the accused’s infatuation and obsessive conduct continued and, tragically, escalated.”The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon took a number of steps to prepare for the murder of Jesse Baird in January 2024. The alleged preparatory steps included:Stealing NSW Police training bullets and shooting them in a national park with a friend, “experimenting with ways he could conceal the sound of gun shots”.Asking police colleagues involved in investigative work how mobile phone location records could be concealed.Hiring a car in a relative’s name and parking it in a “staging area”.Buying a surfboard bag to hold Baird’s body and checking that it would be large enough to fit a person in it.Pretending to return his service weapon to a police gun safe after a work shift the day before the killings.9.09amThe Crown’s timeline of alleged eventsBy Megan GorreyIn his opening address yesterday, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, set out a timeline of alleged events. This is not evidence but is a guide to the prosecution’s case against Lamarre-Condon.The accused has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in 2024.Late 2022: The accused and Jesse Baird meet and start a casual relationship.April 2023: Baird sends the accused a “sympathetic” message saying he isn’t ready for a relationship.May 19, 2023: The accused allegedly uses his authority as a police officer to obtain CCTV footage of Jesse Baird on a date with a man in Paddington.June 24, 2023: The accused allegedly shows up uninvited to another meeting Baird had with the man from the date and a second man.August 17, 2023: The accused allegedly breaks into Baird’s home and steals his mobile phone and wallet while Baird is home. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to this charge.September 2023: The accused and Jesse Baird resume their relationship.November 2023: The pair break up for the final time after Baird allegedly discovers the accused had accessed his phone to delete messages and block people; and had posted a photograph on Instagram that falsely gave the impression Baird had sent him flowers.New Year’s Eve 2023/January 2024: Jesse Baird meets Luke Davies and their relationship develops quickly. They post photos of themselves on social media, making their relationship “Insta-official” about the end of January.February 17, 2024: Lamarre-Condon visits a sports store at Miranda Westfield with a friend to buy a surfboard cover. CCTV captures the accused examining the sizes of surfboard covers.February 19, 2024: The accused allegedly shoots dead Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at Baird’s share-house in Paddington using his police-issued firearm.February 21, 2024: A groundskeeper finds items related to the alleged killings in a bin at Cronulla Bowls Club.February 22, 2024: The accused becomes aware the police investigation into the double murder is “closing in on him”.February 23, 2024: The accused hands himself into Bondi police station. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.Openings continue in double murder trialBy Michaela WhitbournHello and welcome to our live coverage of Beau Lamarre-Condon’s double murder trial in the NSW Supreme Court.The former police officer has pleaded not guilty to murdering Sydney couple Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, in the eastern suburbs on February 19, 2024.Beau Lamarre-Condon (left) is accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.He has also pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated breaking and entering into Baird’s Paddington home in August 2023 and stealing a mobile phone and wallet belonging to Baird.1 of 1