The short version
- Jurors viewed CCTV footage showing the accused moving between locations in Sydney following the deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.
- Prosecutors allege the former police officer escalated his plan after an unexpected second victim, requiring additional vehicles and supplies.
- Defense counsel contends that the extensive cleanup efforts demonstrate panic rather than premeditated murder.
The trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon, a former senior constable with New South Wales police, has entered a critical phase as jurors examined detailed surveillance evidence regarding his movements following two deaths in February 2024. The thirty-one-year-old defendant has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Jesse Baird, twenty-six, and Baird’s partner, Luke Davies, twenty-nine. Prosecutors are presenting a narrative that Lamarre-Condon engaged in two separate violent encounters, resulting in the fatalities, before undertaking a complex effort to conceal the crimes across Sydney.
Central to the prosecution’s case is a series of closed-circuit television recordings and digital data points that track the accused’s activities well into the night after the alleged killings. Footage presented to the Supreme Court jury shows Lamarre-Condon arriving on foot at an Avis car rental depot in Kensington at approximately nine o’clock on the evening of February 19, roughly twelve hours after the deaths occurred. According to prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC, receipts from an Uber account indicate that Lamarre-Condon hired a rideshare vehicle to travel from Kensington, where he had left his personal car, to the rental location.
The surveillance video captures the defendant driving away from the depot in a Toyota HiAce van. Forensic investigators later discovered significant blood staining within this vehicle, linking it directly to the crime scene. GPS data extracted from the van places it near the rear roller door of Baird’s residence in Paddington at around eleven o’clock that night. The prosecutor indicated that additional footage showing the van near the property after midnight would be presented in subsequent sessions, further establishing a timeline of activity at the location where the bodies were found.
The prosecution argues that the variety of vehicles used by Lamarre-Condon to navigate Sydney and its surrounding areas was instrumental in cleaning up the crime scene and disposing of the two bodies. This logistical complexity is portrayed as evidence of a calculated response to the escalating situation. The narrative suggests that the defendant’s actions were not spontaneous but involved careful planning to avoid detection, utilizing multiple modes of transport to move between key locations during the critical hours following the incidents.
Evidence also highlights preparations made prior to the alleged murders. CCTV footage from February 18 shows Lamarre-Condon’s mother hiring an SUV while he waited outside. Prosecutors allege that this vehicle, a Mazda CX-5, was secured because Lamarre-Condon initially intended only to kill Baird. However, the situation reportedly changed when Davies made an emergency call, surprising the defendant. According to the prosecution, Lamarre-Condon then shot Davies through a door, necessitating an upgrade in vehicle size and additional purchases to accommodate the second body.
Audio recordings of the triple-zero call made from Davies’ phone were played for the jury. The recording contains muffled words and sounds before an operator notes that the caller disconnected without making a request. The operator reported hearing a male voice say “eff off” before the line went dead. This audio evidence is being used to support the timeline of events and the sequence of interactions leading up to the deaths.
The defense has offered a contrasting interpretation of these events. Lamarre-Condon’s barrister argues that his client killed Baird in self-defense during a struggle. The subsequent death of Davies, according to the defense, occurred during a second separate struggle. The extensive efforts to clean the scene and dispose of the bodies are characterized by the defense as actions driven by panic rather than premeditated murderous intent. This distinction is crucial for the jury’s determination of guilt or innocence.
The physical evidence includes two surfboard bags in which the men’s bodies were left overnight in the courtyard of the share house. Housemates discovered the bags and took a photograph showing red liquid leaking from one of them. Prosecutors point to the purchase of a second surfboard bag after the deaths as further proof that Lamarre-Condon was adapting to the unexpected killing of Davies. The defense, however, maintains that these actions reflect a desperate attempt to manage a chaotic situation rather than evidence of a planned double homicide.
As the trial continues, the jury is tasked with weighing the forensic and digital evidence against the competing narratives presented by both sides. The prosecution seeks to establish a clear link between Lamarre-Condon’s movements and the disposal of the bodies, emphasizing the logistical planning involved. The defense aims to cast doubt on the intent behind these actions, framing them as reactive measures taken in the aftermath of violent but defensive encounters. The outcome will depend on how convincingly each side can interpret the same set of facts.
The case has drawn significant attention due to Lamarre-Condon’s background as a former police officer, raising questions about his knowledge of forensic procedures and crime scene management. While the prosecution highlights this expertise as evidence of sophisticated planning, the defense suggests it may have contributed to his panic when the situation deviated from his initial expectations. The trial continues to unfold with more evidence expected to be presented in the coming weeks.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗Beau Lamarre-Condon trial shown CCTV of accused’s movements across Sydney after alleged double murder
