Former officer claims accidental shot killed partner at Sydney home
Beau Lamarre-Condon testified that he did not intend to fire the gun that struck Luke Davies, a detail central to his manslaughter defense.
By Anthony Foster ·
A former police officer facing double-murder charges has told a Sydney court that the shooting which killed a man's partner was an accident. Beau Lamarre-Condon gave evidence on Friday, November 6, asserting that the discharge of his service weapon was unintentional. He described his actions as consistent with manslaughter rather than murder.
Lamarre-Condon is accused of killing Jesse Baird and his partner, Luke Davies, at Baird's home in Paddington, Sydney. The incident occurred on February 19, 2024. The former officer pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break and enter. He is currently testifying in the New South Wales Supreme Court before Justice Natalie Adams.
According to Lamarre-Condon, he entered the home to retrieve a surfboard, clothing, and a Cartier ring. He stated that he used his mother's car and wore a helmet with a lowered visor to avoid recognition. He claimed he wanted to avoid contact because Baird had previously asked him to stop calling and feared Baird might seek an apprehended violence order. He told the court he knocked on the door while dressed in riding gear to appear as a delivery driver.
Lamarre-Condon said that when Baird saw him, the former officer believed Baird was shouting about a robbery and lunged at him. He claimed he aimed at Baird's right shoulder and fired once. He stated that his finger remained on the trigger during the struggle and that the gun discharged a second time when the two men tripped over a storage box. He accepted responsibility for that second shot but denied intending to fire it.
The defendant said he then called the emergency hotline to seek help for Baird. He alleged that Davies, whom he said he did not recognize at the time, picked up the gun and pointed it at Lamarre-Condon's chest. He claimed Davies raised the weapon toward his head. Lamarre-Condon said he tried to redirect the firearm by grabbing Davies's wrist. He told the court the gun discharged during that movement and struck Davies.
The trial heard that Lamarre-Condon signed out his firearm for a shift three days before the killings. He said he had permission to do so. In separate testimony, he described firing the weapon at a tree in Royal National Park with a friend. He stated he was considering taking his own life and wanted to hear the loudness of the gun. Helen Baird, the mother of the victim, left the courtroom as Lamarre-Condon described shooting her son.
