Former cop Beau Lamarre-Condon argues self-defence in double murder trial citing struggle over gun

Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting Jesse Baird, 26, and his partner, 29-year-old Luke Davies, with police service weapon in 2024

A former police officer claims he killed two men in self-defence and began cleaning up the crime scene because he “panicked”, a Sydney court has heard.

Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, has been accused of fatally shooting 26-year-old Jesse Baird and his partner, Luke Davies, 29, with a police service weapon at Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024.

The prosecution told the supreme court on Monday that Lamarre-Condon had become infatuated and obsessed with Baird and began planning his murder in early 2024.

Lamarre-Condon’s defence lawyer, John Stratton SC, told the court on Tuesday that the policeman had been acting in “self-defence”.

Disguised as an Uber Eats driver, Lamarre-Condon had entered Baird’s home in a motorcycle helmet with a key he was given by the 26-year-old, Stratton said.

However, Baird did not recognise Lamarre-Condon and a struggle ensued where the 26-year-old was killed, the defence barrister told the jury.

The officer’s gun was then flung across the room and Davies picked it up, Stratton told the court.

Lamarre-Condon then grabbed the 29-year-old by the arm and pushed the gun towards Davies.

In the struggle that followed, Davies pulled the trigger and shot himself, the court heard.

“It’s his case that what he did was self-defence,” Stratton said. “[He was] understandably panicked. He was a police officer and he knew this looked bad.”

Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter.

Earlier on Tuesday, crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC outlined how the 31-year-old allegedly murdered the two men and concealed their bodies as the trial entered its second day.

The prosecution alleged Lamarre-Condon entered Baird’s house with a stolen key before shooting the 26-year-old twice and shooting Davies through a bedroom door.