A former New South Wales police officer accused of killing Jesse Baird and Luke Davies has told a Sydney court that the shootings occurred in self-defence, as prosecutors presented a different account of the events.

Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and aggravated break and enter over the deaths of Baird, 26, and his partner, Davies, 29, in February 2024.

Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon had developed an intense fixation on Baird after their brief relationship ended in 2023. They claim his behaviour became increasingly obsessive and that he began planning the killings before entering Baird’s Paddington home.

Baird’s sister, Kourtnee Baird, told the court that her brother had been concerned about Lamarre-Condon’s behaviour before his death. She said Jesse had told her that he feared Lamarre-Condon because he was a police officer who had access to a firearm.

She also described messages Lamarre-Condon allegedly sent to Jesse after seeing him at the gym or while he was out for coffee or a meal. According to his sister, Jesse believed he was being followed and was increasingly distressed by the situation.

Defence barrister John Stratton SC presented a different version of the shootings. He told the jury that Lamarre-Condon entered Baird’s home disguised as an Uber Eats delivery rider so he would not be recognised while collecting his belongings.

According to the defence, Lamarre-Condon had been given a key by Baird and was carrying his police firearm because of his training and rules concerning leaving weapons unattended in a vehicle.

Stratton said Baird did not recognise Lamarre-Condon when he entered the property, leading to a physical struggle. During the confrontation, the firearm was allegedly thrown across the room and picked up by Davies.

The defence claims Lamarre-Condon grabbed Davies and pushed the gun toward him, after which Davies pulled the trigger and was fatally shot. Stratton told the jury that Lamarre-Condon’s actions amounted to self-defence.

The defence also acknowledged that Lamarre-Condon began cleaning the property after the shootings. Stratton argued that he had panicked because, as a police officer, he understood how the circumstances would appear and knew the seriousness of what had happened.

Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC rejected that account, alleging Lamarre-Condon entered the house using a stolen key and deliberately shot Baird twice before shooting Davies through a bedroom door.

The court heard recordings of three gunshots, with the first two occurring close together and the third coming 51 seconds later. Prosecutors also said Lamarre-Condon later told a friend that he had killed two people.

The prosecution further alleged that Lamarre-Condon bought a second surfboard bag after purchasing the first one. The bags were later placed in the courtyard of Baird’s home, where a housemate noticed what appeared to be a substance resembling rust leaking from them. Prosecutors say the bags contained the victims’ bodies.

According to the Crown’s case, Lamarre-Condon transported the bodies from the Paddington property in a hired van and later attempted to conceal their deaths. He allegedly used Baird’s phone to send messages suggesting that Baird had gone on a road trip to Perth.

The prosecution also told the court that Lamarre-Condon asked a friend in Perth to receive a phone and turn it on before throwing it into the ocean. He allegedly later attempted to dispose of the bodies in a dam near Goulburn before moving them to an area near a monastery in Bungonia.

The bodies were discovered eight days after the alleged killings.

Baird’s mother, Helen Baird, also gave evidence about meeting Davies shortly before her son’s death. She recalled seeing a photograph of Jesse and Davies at a Pink concert, accompanied by a message identifying Davies as his boyfriend.

The trial before Justice Natalie Adams is continuing.

SOURCE: The Guardian, Kat Wong, September 22, 2026.