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Fired bullet found beneath kitchen floor in Lamarre-Condon murder trial, jury hears

Crime scene photographs reveal cartridge case above cupboards and blood-stained bedding in skip bin

By LineZotpaper
Published
Updated
Read Time2 min
Sources5 outlets
Jurors in the NSW Supreme Court trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon have been shown crime scene photographs revealing a fired bullet beneath the kitchen floor of the Paddington terrace where Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were allegedly shot dead in February 2024.

Senior Sergeant Bronwyn Lansley, a specialist crime scene officer, began giving evidence on Tuesday as prosecutors continued building their case against Lamarre-Condon, 31, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.

The jury was told a fired cartridge case was located above the kitchen cupboards of Mr Baird's Brown Street home, and that a bullet was found on the subfloor beneath the kitchen. Investigators also identified impact damage to a kitchen wall consistent with a bullet hole, and blood in the sub-floor level below which testing suggested was from Mr Baird.

Photographs shown to the court depicted blood-stained bedding, including a quilt cover, fitted sheets and a pillowcase, along with a jumper, shorts, button-up shirt and four white AFL goal umpire flags, all retrieved from black bin bags found in a skip bin in Cronulla. DNA testing confirmed matches to the profiles of both Mr Baird and Mr Davies. A watch, wallet, and identification and bank cards in Mr Davies's name were also located in the bin.

Lamarre-Condon, a former NSW police officer, is accused of shooting the couple with his service pistol at Mr Baird's terrace on February 19, 2024. The prosecution alleges he developed an "obsessive and jealous infatuation" with Mr Baird, a former Network Ten producer and presenter, after their casual relationship ended in November 2023. His lawyers have indicated there will be a self-defence argument.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The physical evidence being presented is central to establishing what happened inside the Paddington terrace, where the prosecution says both men were shot.
  • The trial turns on contested forensic interpretation, including the location of the bullet and cartridge case, which will test the prosecution's narrative of how the shootings unfolded.
  • A self-defence argument from the defence means the precise positioning of the victims and the sequence of shots will be critical to the verdict.

Background

The trial is in its second week before a 15-person jury in the NSW Supreme Court. The prosecution case is that Lamarre-Condon, then a serving police officer, shot Baird twice in the kitchen of the terrace before shooting Davies. Police attended the property after a ground keeper found items with red staining in a skip bin in Cronulla. Crime scene investigators photographed the interior of the home, including a trapdoor in the ground-floor bedroom leading to a subfloor, where a blood-stained tarpaulin was found. The defence has signalled a self-defence case but has not yet outlined its full evidence.

Key Perspectives

Prosecution: The location of the fired bullet, cartridge case and blood staining, combined with DNA matches, supports its account that Lamarre-Condon killed both men with his service pistol and attempted to dispose of evidence. Defence: Lamarre-Condon's lawyers have indicated a self-defence argument, which is expected to challenge the prosecution's account of how the confrontation occurred and whether his actions were justified. Critics and observers: The graphic nature of the photographic evidence and the detailed forensic examination mean the jury's assessment of the crime scene specialist's methodology and the integrity of the exhibits will be closely scrutinised.

What to Watch

  • Further testimony from Senior Sergeant Lansley, including her analysis of the floor plan and the position of each item of evidence.
  • Whether the defence cross-examines the crime scene investigation procedures, particularly the collection and handling of the bullet and cartridge case.
  • Any evidence about the sequence of shots and the distance from which they were fired, which will be central to the self-defence argument.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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