A police officer accused of murdering a couple from Sydney using his service weapon acted out of “a pathological obsession fuelled by jealousy towards his ex-partner”, — it emerged during the court hearing.
31-year-old Beaumont Lamarr-Condon pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder linked to domestic violence, as well as one count of aggravated burglary.
According to the prosecution, in 2024, Lamarr-Condon shot and killed his former partner – 26-year-old TV presenter Jesse Baird – and his new boyfriend, 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant Luke Davis.
The shooting took place at a house in the Paddington area of Sydney.
The men’s bodies were found in a rural area 200 km from the city. They had been hidden in surfboard bags. The trial is expected to last three months.
On Monday, in his opening statement, prosecutor Brett Gatfield explained that, following a brief romantic relationship, Lamarr-Condon had developed an “obsessive and jealous fixation” on Baird.
According to Gatfield, this manifested itself in “a series of obsessive acts”, which intensified after Baird cut off all contact with him in November 2023.
The prosecutor stated that Lamarr-Condon used a friend’s phone to message Baird. He claimed to have cancer, stalked his former partner, and also damaged his car over the course of several weeks following the break-up.
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On the day the murders allegedly took place, Lamarr-Condon set an alarm for 04:30 local time and sent a second message: ‘I’ll try to call… I’ll make sure I do,’ the prosecutor said.
After that, Lamarr-Condon switched to a pay-as-you-go mobile, collected a hire car and waited for three hours outside Baird’s home, dressed as an Uber Eats courier, the prosecution alleges. According to Gatfield, he had previously purchased a surfboard case in which to hide Baird’s body.
Using a key he had obtained earlier to unlock the door to Baird’s home, Lamarr-Condon shot Baird in the kitchen and then killed Davis in the bedroom as he attempted to call the emergency services, the court was told.
Getfield stated that the defendant had planned Baird’s murder in advance and killed Davis to ‘eliminate him as a witness’.
According to Gatfield, in the hours and days that followed, Lamarr-Condon attempted to cover up the murder, including by sending messages from Baird’s mobile phone.
The charge of aggravated burglary relates to an incident in August 2023. According to the prosecution, Lamarr-Condon broke into Baird’s home on that occasion and stole his phone and wallet.
Getfield also told the court that Lamarr-Condon had previously offered to plead guilty to a single charge of the unintentional murder of Baird, but that this offer had been rejected.
The police were first alerted to the possible murders after bloodstained items belonging to Baird and Davies were found in a rubbish bin in south Sydney.
Later that same week, Lamarr-Condon turned himself in at a police station, where he was arrested and charged.
Eight days after the alleged murders, the police discovered the men’s bodies.
A few weeks after being charged with murder, Lamarr-Condon was dismissed from the New South Wales Police Force.
A jury of 15 people was selected ahead of Monday’s opening statement. Judge Natalie Adams explained that three additional jurors had been selected in case of illness or other unforeseen circumstances, as a jury usually consists of 12 members.