Prison Visit Audio: Accused Officer Details Defense Strategy

Beau Lamarre-Condon told a friend in December that he bore full responsibility for his friend’s involvement in a double murder trial, according to audio played to a New South Wales supreme court jury. The 31-year-old police officer is charged with killing Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in Baird’s Paddington home on February 19, 2024. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated break and enter.

The friend, whose name is suppressed, testified on Monday that he recorded the prison visit at the request of investigators. In the audio, Lamarre-Condon asked his visitor to turn around and verify he was not wearing a wire. The friend responded, “You’re so paranoid. Calm down.” Lamarre-Condon apologized for putting his friend in a difficult scenario, stating, “I fully take accountability that you’re involved because of me now.”

Lamarre-Condon disputed his friend’s statement to police, accusing him of lying about details. He denied the claim that he killed Davies to eliminate a witness, asserting instead that he acted in self-defense. The friend argued that Lamarre-Condon was not self-aware, prompting the officer to reply, “You’re not self aware in the way that I am.” Lamarre-Condon also corrected his friend’s recollection of the entry into the home, claiming it was trespass rather than break and enter because Baird had given him a spare key.

The officer explained that he did not knock on the door to avoid receiving an apprehended violence order but called out “hello” upon entering. He argued that his actions were impulsive rather than premeditated. “If I had planned to do this mate, I’d be cool, calm, collected,” Lamarre-Condon said in the recording. He added that he would have had cleaning supplies ready and avoided using a police firearm if he had intended to commit the killings.

Lamarre-Condon told the court he could have obtained another firearm for $10,000 had he planned the event in advance. He also described a visit to Royal National Park before the murders, where he test-fired his weapon to gauge the loudness of the shots. He said he planned to return to that location to take his own life due to suicidality stemming from trauma at work. The friend threatened to leave the conversation multiple times, questioning the truthfulness of the account.

The trial is being heard before Justice Natalie Adams. The court previously heard testimony from the friend stating that Lamarre-Condon initially described the killings as an “out-of-body experience” before joking about the event. The recording was central to the defense’s narrative regarding the officer’s mental state and lack of premeditation.