Former police officer claims trauma and bullying influenced actions after alleged murders
In a NSW Supreme Court trial, Beau Lamarre-Condon testified that bullying and psychological trauma affected his behavior following the February 2024 killings of TV presenter Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.
Beau Lamarre-Condon, a former NSW police officer, is on trial for the alleged murders of TV presenter Jesse Baird and Qantas host Luke Davies at Baird's Paddington home on February 19, 2024. The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty and is presenting a self-defence argument before a jury at the NSW Supreme Court.
During a police helpline call recorded on February 23, 2024, Lamarre-Condon told the operator that he had been "severely bullied" by multiple members of the police force and that the experience had caused him anxiety, sleep loss and other mental-health symptoms. He said the trauma he experienced after joining the force left him "without the mental capability" he previously had and that he was receiving ongoing counselling.
"All this death and trauma, and psychological abuse and trauma — did I say trauma already? — has caused me to not sleep, get anxious," he said in the call.
The call also indicated that detectives were aware he was being driven to a police station, and footage of Lamarre-Condon handing himself in at Bondi Police Station was later shown to the jury.
Lamarre-Condon asserted that a woman identified only as "Elizabeth Kennedy" advised him not to go to police and to conceal the bodies, referencing a Taylor Swift song. He claimed the pair attempted to dispose of the bodies in a dam at Cella Farm near Bungonia on February 21, 2024, but the effort failed. He said he later told the woman he would surrender to authorities and warned that he could not lie under oath.
"I also wanted to do the right thing for the families, as they deserve to know the truth," Lamarre-Condon wrote in a statement.
Prosecutors have described his statements as false and allege he intended to hide the deaths. Kennedy denied that Lamarre-Condon showed her the victim's head or expressed remorse, and she said she only drove to the farm and waited at the gate.
The trial continues as the jury evaluates the conflicting testimonies and the evidence presented.