Paddington double-murder case delayed as accused ex-cop Beau Lamarre-Condon swaps lawyers
The case against former cop Beau Lamarre-Condon, accused of murdering Ten presenter Jesse Baird and his lover Luke Davies, has been delayed in a move described by a magistrate as ‘regrettable’.
The case of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, accused of the murder of Ten presenter Jesse Baird and his lover Luke Davies in Sydney in February, has been delayed until later this month after a late change to his legal team, described by a magistrate as ‘regrettable’.
The bodies of the couple were found inside surfboard bags buried on a remote property near Goulburn in the NSW southern tablelands following a week-long search.
Lamarre-Condon had been expected to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty on Tuesday to two counts of domestic violence related murder and one count of break and enter.
However, Lamarre-Condon’s lawyer, John Walford, told magistrate Clare Farnan in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court he was withdrawing from the matter and would be replaced by NSW Legal Aid.
Ms Farnan said it was “regrettable that legal representation is changing at this late stage” and refused an application for a five month adjournment to obtain a report from a forensic psychiatrist. She agreed to a two week adjournment to give the new defence team time to consider the brief.
Police allege the former the 28-year-old constable used his police issued firearm to murder the couple in Mr Baird’s Paddington home, and that a white Toyota HiAce van was used to transport their bodies to the NSW Southern Tablelands.
Mr Baird previously worked as a red carpet reporter for Studio Ten until late last year and had been dating Mr Davies, a 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant, for some time before the couple were killed inside his Paddington home on Monday 19 February.
The pair were last seen by friends at a mardi gras party at the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills on the Sunday evening before the alleged murder.
By then, police say, Lamarre-Condon had already bought a surfboard bag which he planned to use to dispose of Mr Baird’s body.
They allege Lamarre-Condon checked out a Glock pistol from Miranda police station on February 16 to take to work overtime shift at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney scheduled for later the same week, then checked it back into a safe at Balmain police station the day after the killings.
Police claim the killing was premeditated, after a months-long campaign of predatory behaviour and an “escalating process” of harassment by Lamarre-Condon against Mr Baird, and that Mr Davies was ‘collateral damage’ as he was at Mr Baird’s home.
At about 9.54am on the morning of the murder a very brief triple-zero call was made from Mr Davies’ phone, but the call disconnected without any words spoken.
Lamarre-Condon is alleged to have killed the couple at some point between 12.30am and 5.30pm.
A caller to triple-zero reported gunshots at the Paddington house but police were unable to locate the source of the shots.
Police allege Lamarre-Condon hid the bodies of Mr Baird and Mr Davies in the backyard of the house, with Mr Baird’s two female housemates believed to have slept in the house without knowing their friend and his partner lay dead outside.
On Tuesday 20 February, Lamarre-Condon was rostered on to work, but called in sick. He allegedly returned to the Paddington house with a rented van after buying a second surfboard bag.
Lamarre-Condon sent fake messages from Mr Baird’s phone to his housemates to make them think he was still alive, it is alleged, claiming that he was moving to Perth and providing them with instructions regarding his furniture.
Bloodied possessions belonging to Mr Baird and Mr Davies were found just after 11am on Wednesday 21 February in a skip bin almost 30 km south of Paddington, in Cronulla.
On the same day, police entered the Paddington house and found indications of blood and “signs of struggle”.
Lamarre-Condon allegedly dumped the bodies at a property in Bungonia, near Goulburn, but was spooked about what a female friend he brought with him might suspect, and so moved the bodies to a nearby property the next day.
On 27 February, five days after his arrest, Lamarre-Condon allegedly led police to the bodies, buried in a shallow hole, covered in rocks and debris, along a dirt road.
Lamarre-Condon was officially removed from the NSW Police Force in March.
In July Lamarre-Condon was charged with two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one count of break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence.
On Friday a review into the use of police weapons commissioned by NSW Police in February recommended the use of a live-tracking document to monitor the movement of lethal firearms in real time.
Prior to beginning his career as an officer, Lamarre-Condon was a celebrity blogger, with his social media accounts showcasing selfies with celebrities including Selena Gomez, Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus.
A gossip website run by Lamarre-Condon claimed to feature interviews with high-profile celebrities including Ben Stiller, Cody Simpson, Russell Crowe and Chris Hemsworth.
Lamarre-Condon will face court again on November 19.
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