A former police officer allegedly developed an “infatuation and obsession” with one of his victims, and disguised himself as an Uber Eats rider before shooting two men, a court has heard.
Beau Lamarre-Condon, ۳۱, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter as his trial began in Sydney’s supreme court on Monday.
He has been accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird, ۲۶, and Baird’s partner, Luke Davies, ۲۹, with his police service weapon at Baird’s Paddington home in February ۲۰۲۴.
Appearing in the dock at the King Street courthouse in a light grey suit, dark tie and white shirt, the ۳۱-year-old repeated his pleas.
He offered to plead guilty to an alternative charge of manslaughter, but it was rejected by the prosecution.
As the jury selection process began on Monday morning, crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield said Baird and Lamarre-Condon had become romantically involved from late ۲۰۲۲ and into ۲۰۲۳.
“[Lamarre-Condon] developed an infatuation and obsession with Jesse Baird which manifested itself in a range of compulsive behaviour,” Hatfield told the jury panel.
This behaviour escalated after Baird ended all contact with Lamarre-Condon in November ۲۰۲۳, the court heard.
The crown alleged Lamarre-Condon began planning the murder of Jesse Baird in early ۲۰۲۴.
He started investigating ways to conceal the sound of gunfire, hired a vehicle under his mother’s name, and bought a surfboard bag to dispose of the body, Hatfield told the jury members.
Lamarre-Condon retained his police service weapon when he had “no need to be using it” and disguised himself, the court heard.
On ۱۹ February ۲۰۲۴, he wore a motorcycle helmet and dressed as an Uber Eats rider to enter Baird’s house with a key he had previously obtained, the court heard.
“He then proceeded to the kitchen, where he shot Jesse twice, he then proceeded back to the bedroom where he shot Luke Davies,” Hatfield said.
Their bodies were found almost ۲۰۰km away in Bungonia, eight days after they were killed.
The prosecution said Lamarre-Condon had earlier unsuccessfully tried to sink the bodies in a nearby dam.
Lamarre-Condon’s case has attracted significant attention, with members of the public and media filling out the entire courtroom on Monday morning.
Baird and Davies’ loved ones, including their mothers and siblings, also watched proceedings at the courthouse.
The jury has been chosen and the trial is expected to continue for another two to three months.
