A Sydney court has heard allegations that former NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon disguised himself as an Uber Eats rider before allegedly murdering TV presenter Jesse Baird and Baird’s boyfriend, Luke Davies.
Lamarre-Condon, 31, is standing trial in the NSW Supreme Court on two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one count of aggravated break and enter.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon developed what prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC described as an “obsessive and jealous infatuation” with Baird following a brief relationship between the pair.
Prosecutors say that behaviour escalated after Baird ended contact with him in November 2023.
Crown Alleges Months Of Planning
The court heard allegations that Lamarre-Condon began planning Baird’s murder in early 2024.
According to the Crown, he researched ways to conceal the sound of gunfire, hired a vehicle in his mother’s name and bought a surfboard bag large enough to hold a body.
Prosecutors also allege Lamarre-Condon retained his NSW Police service weapon when he had no authorised reason to do so.
On 19 February 2024, the Crown says he drove to Baird’s Paddington home wearing a motorcycle helmet and clothing intended to make him look like an Uber Eats delivery rider.
Prosecutors allege he entered the property using a key he had previously obtained.
Baird And Davies Allegedly Shot Inside The Home
The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon shot Baird twice inside the kitchen.
He is then accused of entering the bedroom and shooting Davies.
Prosecutors allege Davies was attempting to contact emergency services when he was killed, and say the motive for killing him was to eliminate him as a witness.
The court also heard that Lamarre-Condon allegedly sent messages from Baird’s phone after the deaths to create the impression that Baird was still alive and travelling.
These allegations remain unproven.
Previous Break-In Also Part Of The Case
The aggravated break-and-enter charge relates to an earlier incident at Baird’s home in August 2023.
The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon entered the property while Baird was asleep, using a key he had stolen or copied, and took a phone and wallet.
Prosecutors also say he later staged the lock to make it appear that somebody had forced entry.
The court was told Lamarre-Condon also allegedly used another person’s phone to contact Baird and falsely claimed he had cancer.
Bodies Found In Bungonia
Baird, 26, and Davies, 29, disappeared in February 2024, shortly before Sydney Mardi Gras.
Their bodies were found eight days later inside surfboard bags at a rural property in Bungonia, around 200 kilometres south-west of Sydney.
The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon first attempted to sink the bodies in a dam before disposing of them in a shallow grave.
He later handed himself in to police.
At the time of the alleged killings, Lamarre-Condon was a serving NSW Police officer.
He was subsequently removed from the force.
A Case That Shocked Sydney’s LGBTQ+ Community
The deaths of Baird and Davies sent shockwaves through Sydney’s LGBTQ+ community and overshadowed the 2024 Mardi Gras season.
Baird was a former television presenter, while Davies worked as a flight attendant.
The case also prompted renewed scrutiny of police culture, domestic violence and the relationship between NSW Police and LGBTQ+ communities.
The current trial is expected to run for several months and involve dozens of witnesses.
Lamarre-Condon maintains his not-guilty pleas.
