'Jealous infatuation': Trial in the murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies begins

Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, "misused his position as a police officer" to stalk Jesse Baird before planning to murder him, a jury has been told as Lamarre-Condon’s double murder trial begins in Sydney.

Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, were shot and killed on 19 February 2024 at Baird’s Paddington home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Their bodies were found eight days later, disposed of in surfboard bags in Bungonia, roughly 200km south-west of Sydney, after the accused handed himself in to police.

Lamarre-Condon stands trial in the NSW Supreme Court on two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break and enter.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He had earlier told the court he would plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, but this was rejected by the Crown prosecutor.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC told the 15-person jury that on the day of the murders, Beaumont-Lamarre woke at 4.30am, drove a car he had rented in his mother’s name to Baird’s home, disguised himself as an UberEats delivery driver, entered Baird’s home and allegedly used his NSW Police issued pistol to shoot Baird twice "execution-style".

One of the bullets went through the floor, Hatfield said.

He alleged Lamarre-Condon then shot Davies through the bedroom door.

Hatfield told the court Lamarre-Condon’s "jealous infatuation" with Baird, which formed during their brief relationship, led to “obsessive and compulsive behaviours” that intensified when Baird broke it off in early 2023.

During opening remarks, Hatfield said Lamarre-Condon monitored Baird’s relationships with other men, interfered with Baird’s social media accounts, stalked him, and broke into his home multiple times.

Hatfield said he would present evidence that Lamarre-Condon "misused" his position as a senior constable with NSW Police to obtain CCTV footage of Baird on a date with another man.

Other "obsessive" behaviours detailed to the court included the accused coming to Baird’s home and watching him have sex with other men through the window.

Hatfield alleged Lamarre-Condon also sent messages from a friend’s phone to Baird, where he lied about having a "cancerous tumour growing within his left arm" and was on "medications … which ultimately affects how a person would usually be and react in their day-to-day life".

Lamarre-Condon allegedly broke into Baird’s Paddington home in August 2023 while he was asleep, using a key he had stolen or surreptitiously copied, and stole his phone and wallet.

The court was shown a photo of the bobby pin left in the lock at Baird’s home to give the impression it had been picked.

In subsequent days, Hatfield told the court, Lamarre-Condon "cleaned the scene ... with a range of products and items", "returned the firearm to the [police] safe", and sent text messages from Baird’s phone to give the impression he was still alive and travelling to Perth.

It is alleged Lamarre-Condon drove the bodies of Baird and Davies to Bungonia and initially "tried to sink the bodies in a dam" before burying them in a shallow grave.

Murders were 'pre-meditated and planned'

Members of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies’ family were also in court, some visibly emotional as Hatfield presented details of the alleged murders to the jury.

Hatfield said the accused engaged in significant premeditation and planning before the alleged murders, including hiring a car in his mother’s name and buying a surfboard bag "large enough to fit a person inside".

The court was told Lamarre-Condon stole training bullets from the NSW Police armoury and "experimented with ways he could conceal the sound of gunshots".

During his shift before the murders took place, Hatfield said the accused "pretended to return his service weapon … to a police gun safe" but "retained it despite having no authorised reason to do so".

The trial continues on Tuesday.

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