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Beau Lamarre-Condon guilt-tripped friend into faking cancer diagnosis before alleged murders, court told

Former police officer's trial hears he used cancer lie to explain erratic behaviour; defence argues shootings were self-defence

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By LineZotpaper
Published
Updated
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Sources19 outlets
The trial of former NSW police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has heard he pressured a friend into helping him fake a cancer diagnosis months before he allegedly murdered Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, as his defence team argued the deaths were the result of two struggles over a police pistol in a case of self-defence.

The 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one of aggravated break and enter as his trial began last week in the NSW Supreme Court.

In the latest development, the court was told Lamarre-Condon “guilt-tripped” a friend into helping him fake a cancer diagnosis, according to reports. The alleged deception was an attempt to explain his erratic behaviour in the months leading up to February 2024, when Baird and Davies were shot dead inside Baird's Paddington terrace.

Opening the trial, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC described a “jealous infatuation” and “obsessive conduct” by Lamarre-Condon towards Baird, with whom he had a brief romantic relationship in 2022 and parts of 2023. Hatfield said Lamarre-Condon stalked Baird, tampered with his car, and used a friend's phone to message him claiming he had cancer after Baird ended all contact in November 2023.

On the day of the killings, the Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon disguised himself as an Uber Eats delivery driver – including wearing a helmet – to gain entry to Baird's home. Once inside, he is said to have shot Baird twice in the kitchen before shooting Davies, who was calling Triple Zero from a bedroom.

Defence counsel John Stratton SC told the jury Lamarre-Condon admitted entering the property but said he wanted to recover belongings without embarrassment. He said his client was “very upset” by the second break-up and thought Baird “had not been honest with him”.

Stratton said Lamarre-Condon had his police gun because he could not leave it unattended in a car. According to the defence, Baird surprised Lamarre-Condon, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, and the two men struggled. The gun went off twice, fatally wounding Baird, before being flung into another room. Lamarre-Condon then picked up a phone to call Triple Zero, the defence said.

The bodies of Baird, 26, a television presenter, and Davies, 29, a Qantas flight attendant, were found nearly 200 kilometres south-west of Sydney in surf bags a week after their disappearance.

The trial before Justice Natalie Adams is expected to run for three months.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The case has deeply affected the families, friendship circles, and the LGBT community in Sydney.
  • It raises questions about police officer conduct and use of service firearms.
  • The trial will test the self-defence claim against a detailed Crown narrative of obsessive stalking and premeditation.

Background

Beau Lamarre-Condon was a senior constable with NSW Police when he allegedly shot and killed Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February 2024. Baird, a Channel Ten presenter, had ended a romantic relationship with Lamarre-Condon in November 2023. After the couple disappeared, a police investigation led to Lamarre-Condon's arrest. Their bodies were discovered in surf bags at a rural property in Bungonia. The case sparked widespread media attention and grief, particularly within Sydney's LGBT community.

Key Perspectives

The Crown: The prosecution alleges Lamarre-Condon was driven by an obsessive infatuation with Baird, manifested in stalking, car tampering, and faking cancer. They argue the killings were deliberate and domestic-violence related. The Defence: John Stratton SC says the deaths were a tragedy, not murder. He argues Lamarre-Condon entered the home to retrieve belongings, was surprised by Baird, and the gun fired during struggles – making the shootings self-defence. Critics/Sceptics: The defence faces the challenge of explaining why Lamarre-Condon disguised himself, entered unannounced with a loaded weapon, and why the second victim, Luke Davies, was also killed. The Crown's detailed timeline of obsessive behaviour may undermine claims of an accidental confrontation.

What to Watch

  • Testimony from the friend alleged to have helped fake the cancer diagnosis.
  • Ballistics and forensics evidence regarding the number and location of gunshots.
  • Whether the defence calls Lamarre-Condon to testify in his own behalf.

Sources

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Articles published under the Zotpaper byline are synthesized from multiple source publications by our AI editor and reviewed by our editorial process. Each story combines reporting from credible outlets to give readers a balanced, comprehensive view.

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