Beau Lamarre-Condon has denied planning to 'assassinate' his former partner Jesse Baird, as a Crown prosecutor put to him that he was homicidal and suggested CCTV showed him looking relaxed about three hours after the alleged murders.
The 31-year-old former NSW police officer is in the witness box for a third day in the NSW Supreme Court, where he is being cross-examined over the February 2024 deaths of Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter.
Lamarre-Condon has argued he acted in self-defence, saying Baird lunged at him with a knife and he accidentally fired a second shot during a struggle. He also says Davies grabbed his gun and accidentally shot himself during another struggle.
On Monday, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC put to Lamarre-Condon that he intended to kill Baird. "You executed him with that second shot," Hatfield said. "I never executed Jesse Baird," Lamarre-Condon replied.
Hatfield suggested Lamarre-Condon was not suicidal as he had claimed, but homicidal. "You were not suicidal, you were homicidal," Hatfield said. "You're trying to get sympathy for these claims." Lamarre-Condon became emotional as he rejected the suggestion, saying "this is the real life I was living at the time unfortunately."
The court was played the Triple Zero call Lamarre-Condon said he made after Baird was shot. The prosecution alleges Davies' voice can be heard saying "get out" and "f--- off". Lamarre-Condon said both voices can be heard and that he told Davies to leave while in the surrender position. He denied intentionally disconnecting the call, saying the phone was shattered and pixelated.
Lamarre-Condon was shown CCTV footage from about three hours after the alleged murders, in which he appears to be buying a second surfboard cover at Westfield Miranda. Hatfield suggested he looked "quite relaxed". Lamarre-Condon said as a police officer "I can't panic, I can't react, I have to be the person members of the community look at for direction". He added: "Just because you see me on camera with no reaction doesn't mean I wasn't crying five minutes before in the whole car ride there."
Asked about footage showing him at Sushi Train with a friend the day after the alleged murders, Hatfield pressed: "When we see you licking your fingers and smiling and laughing … is that from your training as a police officer or something else?" Lamarre-Condon replied he was not smiling, and said it was "very interesting" that the prosecution showed the jury 30 minutes of a stationary car but not the full Sushi Train footage, which he said showed him "freaking out."
Hatfield also questioned Lamarre-Condon about a conversation with a friend in December 2025, during which the friend wore a listening device. The conversation appeared to include Lamarre-Condon saying he had bought a surfboard for Baird; he said this was a transcription error and that he had 'brought' the surfboard when Baird was present. He rejected the suggestion that he bought the first surfboard cover for Baird's body.
Lamarre-Condon was asked about a $24,450 Cartier ring he said he went to retrieve from Baird's house. He said he had not worn it recently, rotated through several Cartier rings and did not know that one was gone.
He told the court his income came from his police salary of about $120,000 annually including user-pays shift work, a swimwear line, Bitcoin investments and selling Hermes Birkin handbags sourced in Paris, which he said could yield profits of $10,000 to $100,000 per bag.
Lamarre-Condon denied the prosecution's suggestion that he purchased the Uber Eats disguise items, including a helmet and high-vis clothing, before the shootings. "There was never any plan to hurt, harm anyone let alone kill them, so that's not correct," he said.
The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The trial is one of the highest-profile murder cases in NSW, involving a former police officer accused of using his service weapon to kill two men.
- The case raises questions about police access to firearms, mental health support for officers, and domestic violence within same-sex relationships.
- The outcome will hinge on whether the jury believes Lamarre-Condon's account of accidental shootings during struggles or the Crown's case that he executed both men.
Background
Beau Lamarre-Condon was a serving NSW police officer when he allegedly shot Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at Baird's Paddington home on February 19, 2024. He had been in a casual romantic relationship with Baird, a former Network Ten producer and presenter, which ended in November 2023. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. He disposed of the men's bodies near a Greek monastery in Bungonia, south of Sydney, on February 22, 2024, which is not in dispute. His defence argues he acted in self-defence and that the deaths were accidental.
Key Perspectives
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC: Accused Lamarre-Condon of executing Baird with a second shot and being homicidal rather than suicidal. He argued Lamarre-Condon acted on a plan to assassinate Baird, pointing to CCTV footage showing the accused looking relaxed after the deaths.
Beau Lamarre-Condon: Denied executing Baird or planning to harm anyone. He said he was in a struggle with Baird over a knife and the second shot was unintentional during a fall. He maintained Davies grabbed the gun and accidentally shot himself. He said his calm appearance on CCTV was due to police training and dissociation, not a lack of emotion.
What to Watch
- Whether Lamarre-Condon continues giving evidence on Tuesday as expected.
- The jury's assessment of the Triple Zero call and whether they accept Lamarre-Condon's account of the shooting sequence.
- Expert testimony on ballistics and the positioning of the bullet lodged in Baird's bedroom door.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline says Lamarre-Condon rejected the prosecutor’s allegation that he was homicidal.Just In: ““You weren't suicidal, you were homicidal,” he put to Mr Lamarre-Condon.”
- SupportedThe summary says Lamarre-Condon denied executing Jesse Baird.Just In: ““I never executed Jesse Baird,” Mr Lamarre-Condon replied.”
- SupportedThe summary says Lamarre-Condon described himself as detached after the shootings.Just In: “Mr Lamarre-Condon maintained he was “detached” from the incident.”
- SupportedLamarre-Condon denied planning to assassinate Baird.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the former NSW police officer denied the prosecution’s allegation that he acted on a plan to “assassinate Jesse Baird””
- SupportedHatfield said, “You executed him with that second shot,” and Lamarre-Condon replied, “I never executed Jesse Baird.”Just In: ““You executed him with that second shot,” Mr Hatfield said. “I never executed Jesse Baird,” Mr Lamarre-Condon replied.”
- SupportedLamarre-Condon pleaded not guilty to two murder counts and one charge of aggravated break and enter.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering Baird, 26, ... and Davies, 29”
- SupportedLamarre-Condon said Baird lunged at him with a knife, the second shot was accidental, and Davies accidentally shot himself during a struggle over the gun.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Baird had lunged at him with a knife, he said, and he shot Baird once to disarm him and accidentally shot him a second time in a struggle. Davies grabbed the gun and accidentally shot himself”
- SupportedThe prosecution alleged Davies could be heard saying “get out” and “f--- off” on the Triple Zero call; Lamarre-Condon said both voices could be heard.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The Crown case is that Davies’ voice can be heard in the recorded call, played on Monday, saying “get out” and “f--- off”. Lamarre-Condon has said ... both his and Davies’ voices can be heard”
- SupportedCCTV from about three hours after the alleged murders showed Lamarre-Condon buying a second surfboard cover, and Hatfield suggested he looked relaxed.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, suggested that CCTV footage on February 19, about three hours after the men died, showed Lamarrre-Condon looking “quite relaxed” buying a second surfboard cover at Westfield Miranda.”
- SupportedLamarre-Condon said a recorded conversation’s “bought” reference to a surfboard was a transcription error and that he had said “brought.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Lamarre-Condon told the court this appeared to be a transcription error and he, in fact, said “brought” and not “bought”.”
- SupportedThe ring Lamarre-Condon said he went to retrieve from Baird’s house was worth $24,450.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Asked by Hatfield about the Cartier ring, Lamarre-Condon said it was worth $24,450.”
- Reports differLamarre-Condon said his police salary was about $120,000 annually including user-pays shift work.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “He estimated his police salary at $120,000 including the user-pays work.”