The conversation in question
In a chilling turn for the ongoing murder trial in Sydney, Ben Higginson, an officer with the New South Wales police force, testified that he spoke with the accused, 31-year-old Beau Lamarre-Condon, the day before the alleged crimes. On February 18, 2024, the two were working a pro-Palestine protest when the conversation turned to the investigation of Lilie James, a 21-year-old school coach killed by Paul Thijssen in 2023.
According to Higginson, Lamarre-Condon seemed "blase" about the murder, even remarking that Thijssen was "stupid" for committing the act on camera. The court heard that Lamarre-Condon specifically probed whether Thijssen might have successfully evaded capture if he hadn't died by suicide. The duo reportedly discussed investigative tactics, including the difficulty of tracing cash versus cards and how detectives track mobile phones.
The charges and the defense
Lamarre-Condon is currently standing trial for the February 2024 killings of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, who were shot in Baird's Paddington home. The accused, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break and enter, allegedly used his police service weapon.
In a bizarre sidebar, Higginson noted that the two weren't close, but often chatted about Lamarre-Condon’s "side-hustles," which apparently involved importing Hermes bags from France for resale. Meanwhile, the defense is arguing that the shootings were an act of "self-defense" and that the subsequent cleanup of the scene was a result of the officer having "panicked."
Why it matters
The testimony highlights a disturbing level of pre-meditation or at least intellectual curiosity regarding criminal evasion from a serving police officer. It’s giving major 'the plot thickens' energy for the prosecution, as they try to dismantle the defense's self-defense narrative. Real talk, the optics here are looking like a massive L for the defense.
