‘Regrettable’: Update for alleged killer cop

Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence related murder.
Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence related murder.

A police officer has made a late change to his legal representation after he was accused of murdering two men with his service weapon in an alleged double homicide that shocked the nation.

Beau Lamarre-Condon faced Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday after spending more than eight months behind bars on remand.

The 29-year-old has been charged with murdering Channel 10 presenter Jesse Baird and his boyfriend, Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, at a Paddington share house in February.

Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murdering two men in Sydney’s east.
Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murdering two men in Sydney’s east.

Police allege he killed the couple using a police-issued firearm before placing their bodies inside surfboard bags and transporting them to a remote property near Goulburn, in the NSW southern tablelands.

The murders allegedly followed “predatory” behaviour from Lamarre-Condon, who had been in a brief relationship with Mr Baird in the months before his death.

Mr Lamarre-Condon was expected to enter pleas on Tuesday in answer to two counts of domestic violence related murder and one count of break and enter.

However, his lawyer John Walford told the court he was officially withdrawing from the matter after months of representing Mr Lamarre-Condon.

Luke Davies (left) and Jesse Baird (right) were found dead in February after a week-long search. Picture: Instagram
Luke Davies (left) and Jesse Baird (right) were found dead in February after a week-long search. Picture: Instagram

The former police officer will now be represented by NSW Legal Aid on the taxpayer’s dime.

Magistrate Clare Farnan said “it was regrettable that legal representation is changing at this late stage”.

Mr Lamarre-Condon’s new lawyer Rachel Durmush told the court that Legal Aid had received the majority of the evidence against its client.

She asked for a two week adjournment to confirm they had received the entire brief and liaise with the Crown prosecution about the next steps.

The court was told Legal Aid had initially sought a staggering five-month adjournment in order to obtain a report from a forensic psychiatrist, but the Crown opposed the lengthy delay.

Mr Lamarre-Condon has been in custody on remand since February. Picture: NewsWire / Rocco Fazzari
Mr Lamarre-Condon has been in custody on remand since February. Picture: NewsWire / Rocco Fazzari

Crown prosecutor Brendan Donnelly explained it was not clear why an appointment could not be made sooner or whether the psychiatrist’s report would even be ready by March next year.

He said a shorter adjournment would give the parties an opportunity to “create a realistic timeline” and allow the Crown to form a position on whether a longer adjournment is necessary.

Ms Farnan ordered the matter return to court later this month.

Mr Lamarre-Condon appeared briefly on screen wearing a prison-issued green T-shirt and blank expression as he was told he was not required on screen.

The bodies of Mr Baird (left) and Mr Davies (right) were found after a week-long search. Picture Instagram
The bodies of Mr Baird (left) and Mr Davies (right) were found after a week-long search. Picture Instagram

A family member of one of his alleged victims was granted special permission to dial in to the court proceedings on Tuesday.

Police allege Mr Lamarre-Condon planned to kill Mr Baird and Mr Davies became collateral damage.

The serving police officer turned himself in four days after the couple were killed in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

The men’s bodies were subsequently found on a rural property near Goulburn in the NSW Southern Tablelands after a week-long search.

Mr Lamarre-Condon has since been dismissed from the NSW Police Force.