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Former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon enters witness box in Sydney double murder trial
Former NSW police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has begun giving evidence in his Sydney trial over the deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. He has pleaded not guilty to murdering the couple, and told the court he experienced homophobic abuse while serving as an openly gay officer.
Lamarre-Condon is accused of shooting Baird and Davies with his police service weapon at Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024. His defence has said the men were accidentally shot during separate struggles and that he disposed of their bodies after panicking; prosecutors called more than 50 witnesses during seven weeks of evidence.
In short
- Lamarre-Condon has begun giving evidence in his double murder trial.
- He alleges he faced homophobic abuse in the police force.
- His defence says the shootings happened during struggles.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The defence case is that Lamarre-Condon did not deliberately kill Baird and Davies: he says they were shot accidentally during separate struggles, and that he disposed of their bodies in panic. His account of experiencing homophobic abuse as an openly gay officer may also be relevant context for the jury when assessing his experiences and evidence.
The case against
The prosecution alleges that Lamarre-Condon deliberately shot the couple with his service weapon, and its case was supported by evidence from more than 50 witnesses over seven weeks. On that account, the claim of accidental shootings and panic does not explain the deaths; the jury must assess the evidence against his account.