Beau Lamarre-Condon tells double murder trial Baird shooting was not intentional

Former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon told a Sydney court on Friday that he is "guilty of manslaughter" over the death of Jesse Baird, but said the shooting was not intentional, as he gave evidence in his double-murder trial.

Lamarre-Condon is accused of fatally shooting Baird and Baird's partner, Luke Davies, with his police service weapon at Baird's home in Paddington, Sydney, on 19 February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter.

Baird's mother, Helen, left the courtroom as he described the shooting, telling the New South Wales supreme court he acted in "police mode" and had a split second to say "Drop the knife". He said that if he had not acted, the knife would have been driven into his throat.

Disguise and entry

The court heard Lamarre-Condon signed out his firearm for a shift three days before the alleged murders, with permission, and had stopped at the East Village shopping centre in Zetland to have his car washed. He said it was common for officers to stop for coffee on the way to work.

On the day of the alleged killings he said he wanted to retrieve his surfboard, clothes and a Cartier ring, took his mother's car because he did not want to be recognised, and drove up and down Baird's street looking for his ute before parking in a spot left by Baird's housemate. He said he wanted to avoid contact with Baird, who had asked him to "please refrain from contacting me", and feared Baird could seek an apprehended violence order.

He said that when he saw what he assumed was a delivery motorcycle he decided to put on a hi-vis hooded jacket, waterproof trousers, gloves and a helmet so he could knock on the door looking like a delivery rider without speaking to Baird.

Lamarre-Condon claimed Baird's room was empty when he entered and that he searched storage boxes for his clothes. He said he was still wearing the helmet with the visor down and had his firearm in a holster under his shirt when Baird saw him and began shouting that they were being robbed.

He claimed Baird lunged at him and that he aimed at Baird's right shoulder and fired. The jury heard the two struggled with his finger still on the trigger and that they tripped over a storage box, at which point the gun discharged. "It was my fault ... I am guilty of manslaughter ... But it wasn't intentional," he said.

He told the court he called the emergency hotline to get help for Baird, then saw Davies, whom he did not recognise. He claimed Davies picked up the gun, pointed it at his chest and threatened to shoot him, and later raised it towards his head. Lamarre-Condon said police are trained to redirect a gun's muzzle, and that as he pushed Davies's wrist and forearm away the gun went off "and it got Luke".

Earlier, he told the jury about a trip to the Royal national park with a friend where he fired his gun at a tree while thinking about taking his own life and wanting to test how loud the weapon was. He said he was careful not to hit anyone.

The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.

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Source: The Guardian World.