Beau Lamarre-Condon messaged a man he had met on the dating app Hinge hours after he allegedly shot Jesse Baird and Luke Davies dead at a Paddington terrace, asking "How was your Monday?", a NSW Supreme Court jury has heard.
The messages and voice notes were played on Tuesday as the prosecution neared the end of its case after six weeks. Lamarre-Condon, 31, a former police officer, is accused of murdering Baird, a television presenter, and Davies on Monday, February 19, 2024.
In the first message, sent hours after the alleged killings, Lamarre-Condon told his date he had been sick and had a routine operation scheduled for February 21: "Hey, I'm sorry. I've been a bit MIA. I've literally been very sick. And then I've got this operation tomorrow. So that's not fun." He added: "I'm trying to get back into a positive mindset. I have not been to the gym. I have no intention to go to the gym this week." The court heard he said he was not in a "positive headspace".
In a voice note, he said he was pulling out of a boat party because his body had not been "looking the best" and he intended to stay in bed: "I just don't want to be on a boat full of gays, so I'm going to cancel that or sell my ticket." The pair discussed catching up and Lamarre-Condon's interest in celebrity sightings, and he mentioned the Taylor Swift concert that Saturday. The following day he reassured the man he had not blocked him, saying he had deactivated his accounts: "I have just shut down all my social media. I'm gonna have a little bit of a break mentally."
Lamarre-Condon's defence barrister, John Stratton, SC, has previously told the court his client will argue he acted in self-defence. His lawyers say he put the bodies in surf bags, drove them to a remote property at Bungonia near Goulburn and tried to submerge them in a dam after he "panicked".
The jury also heard that Baird had just been given a job as a production assistant on a shark documentary, due to start on February 19. His new boss texted him that day: "Hi Jesse, just checking you are working today. I have sent you a few emails but you have not responded. Thanks." When there was no reply, she considered contacting Baird's mother, his emergency contact, because it was perplexing that the "amazing" and "keen" Baird had gone silent, she said in an affidavit. Lamarre-Condon allegedly took control of Baird's phone and texted the boss resigning immediately, saying he needed to prioritise himself and find a role he was passionate about.
Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon had become obsessed with Baird, whom he had briefly dated, and stalked the presenter, including by breaking into his home as he slept. Digital forensic police found deleted data on his phone after he turned himself in days later, including messages allegedly sent to Baird inviting him to watch Lamarre-Condon get "tumble-dried" in the surf at Bondi Beach, and another from November 2023 begging Baird not to "throw me to the curb". Deleted searches included one reading "Watch Instagram stories anonymously. Posts, comments, user profile statistics", along with Baird's website, and a Bunnings YouTube video about how to mix concrete. Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon filled the surfboard bags containing the two men's bodies with concrete and weights and tried to submerge them in the dam. When that failed, he allegedly dumped them outside a nearby Greek monastery.
The trial continues, with prosecutors expecting to finish their case on Thursday.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The trial is one of Sydney's most closely followed criminal cases, and the messages read in court go to the prosecution's central allegation that Lamarre-Condon was stalking Baird in the period before the deaths.
- The jury is being asked to weigh the prosecution's account of planning and concealment against the defence position that Lamarre-Condon acted in self-defence.
- The prosecution case is nearly complete, which shifts attention to whether the defence presents evidence and to the jury's eventual verdict.
Background
Beau Lamarre-Condon is a former New South Wales police officer on trial in the NSW Supreme Court over the deaths of Jesse Baird, a television presenter who had worked at Network Ten, and Luke Davies. The deaths are alleged to have occurred at a terrace house in Paddington, in inner Sydney, in February 2024. The trial has run for six weeks, and the jury has heard from police and digital forensic witnesses as well as being shown material recovered from Lamarre-Condon's phone.
Key Perspectives
Prosecutors: allege Lamarre-Condon became obsessed with Baird, whom he had briefly dated, and stalked him, including by breaking into his home as he slept, and that he filled the surfboard bags holding the bodies with concrete and weights and tried to submerge them in a dam before dumping them outside a nearby Greek monastery.
Defence barrister John Stratton, SC: has told the court Lamarre-Condon will argue he acted in self-defence, and that he drove the bodies to the Bungonia property and tried to submerge them in a dam after he "panicked".
What to Watch
- The prosecution expects to finish presenting its case on Thursday; the defence case, in which Lamarre-Condon is to argue self-defence, follows.
- How the jury weighs the phone messages, voice notes and deleted searches against the defence account of what happened inside the Paddington terrace.
- Any further forensic evidence about the surfboard bags and the dam at Bungonia.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedLamarre-Condon asked a man he met on Hinge, “How was your Monday?” hours after the alleged murders.WA Today - Latest News: “‘How was your Monday?’ Lamarre-Condon, now 31, messaged a man he met on the dating app Hinge, talking about a routine surgery he was scheduled to have on February 21.”
- SupportedThe message was sent hours after Lamarre-Condon allegedly shot Baird and Davies dead in a Paddington terrace on Monday, February 19, 2024.WA Today - Latest News: “It included messages and voice notes from Lamarre-Condon, beginning with one sent hours after he allegedly shot the pair dead in a Paddington terrace on Monday, February 19, 2024.”
- SupportedMessages and voice notes were played on Tuesday as the prosecution neared the end of its six-week case.WA Today - Latest News: “The former police officer on Tuesday saw some of the final evidence laid out against him at the close of a six-week prosecution case in the NSW Supreme Court.”
- SupportedLamarre-Condon told the date, “Hey, I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit MIA. I’ve literally been very sick. And then I’ve got this operation tomorrow. So that’s not fun.”WA Today - Latest News: ““Hey, I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit MIA. I’ve literally been very sick. And then I’ve got this operation tomorrow. So that’s not fun.”
- SupportedThe court heard Lamarre-Condon said he was not in a “positive headspace.”WA Today - Latest News: “Accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon told a date he wasn’t in a “positive headspace” in a message sent hours after allegedly murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.”
- SupportedIn a voice note, Lamarre-Condon said, “I just don’t want to be on a boat full of gays, so I’m going to cancel that or sell my ticket.”WA Today - Latest News: ““I just don’t want to be on a boat full of gays, so I’m going to cancel that or sell my ticket,” he said on the voice note played in court.”
- SupportedThe following day, Lamarre-Condon said he had shut down his social media and would take a break mentally.WA Today - Latest News: ““I have just shut down all my social media. I’m gonna have a little bit of a break mentally,” he said.”
- SupportedDefence barrister John Stratton, SC, had previously told the court Lamarre-Condon would argue self-defence.WA Today - Latest News: “Lamarre-Condon’s defence barrister, John Stratton, SC, previously told the court the accused murderer would argue he acted in self-defence.”
- SupportedLamarre-Condon, 31, is a former police officer accused of murdering Baird and Davies.WA Today - Latest News: “The former police officer on Tuesday saw some of the final evidence laid out against him at the close of a six-week prosecution case in the NSW Supreme Court.”
- SupportedBaird had been given a job as a production assistant on a shark documentary, expected to begin on February 19.WA Today - Latest News: “The jury on Tuesday heard Baird had just been given a new job as a production assistant for a shark documentary. He previously had worked at Network Ten. Baird was expected to begin the job on February 19, the day of his death.”
- SupportedBaird’s new boss texted him asking whether he was working that day and saying she had sent emails he had not answered.WA Today - Latest News: ““Hi Jesse, just checking you are working today. I have sent you a few emails but you have not responded. Thanks.””
- SupportedProsecutors allege Lamarre-Condon filled the surfboard bags with concrete and weights, tried to submerge them in a dam, then dumped them outside a nearby Greek monastery.WA Today - Latest News: “Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon had filled the surfboard bags containing the bodies of Baird and Davies with concrete and weights and tried to submerge them in a dam. When that failed, he allegedly dumped them outside a nearby Greek monastery.”