The courtroom evidence
The NSW Supreme Court trial for Beau Lamarre-Condon is putting the alleged planning behind the 2024 murders of Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, under the microscope. Prosecutors are building their case on a massive trove of CCTV—14,000 hours of it—and the footage shown on Thursday was, to put it lightly, heavy.
The shop trip
Two days before the February 19 shootings, footage shows Lamarre-Condon at a Decathlon store in Miranda Westfield. He’s seen picking out a surfboard bag, measuring it against a friend’s height to see if it would fit a person. Prosecutors allege he bought this bag for $90 in cash to conceal Baird’s body, later returning to buy a second one for Davies. It’s giving major 'plot to commit a crime' energy, and the family’s reaction in court was understandably raw.
Escalating behavior
The prosecution is painting a picture of an 'infatuation and obsession' that went off the rails. Apparently, Lamarre-Condon had been stalking Baird’s movements, with CCTV of Baird at a pub with another man back in 2023 discovered on the accused's devices.
Even more alarming? A witness testified that in November 2023, Lamarre-Condon FaceTimed her, formed a gun gesture with his hand, and mouthed, 'can Robert get me a gun?' When questioned why he’d need a weapon when he was already a police officer, he reportedly just shrugged it off.
The defense
Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and aggravated break and enter. His defense team is pushing a self-defense narrative, claiming the events unfolded after he entered Baird’s home disguised as an Uber Eats driver. The plot thickens as the trial continues to process the sheer volume of digital evidence.
Why it matters
This case has sparked significant conversation regarding police conduct and the abuse of authority. Seeing an officer accused of using their service weapon and departmental access to commit such a violent act against an ex-partner has left many questioning how institutional trust is maintained when the 'main characters' of the law are the ones breaking it.
