The New South Wales Supreme Court has heard audio recordings from Beau Lamarre-Condon, who is accused of fatally shooting two men in a Paddington terrace. The voice notes were sent by the 31-year-old former police officer to a man he had matched with on a dating app in early 2024. The pair had begun casually dating but were not in a formal relationship at the time.
Lamarre-Condon is charged with two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter regarding the deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, which allegedly occurred on February 19, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. On Tuesday, the jury listened to a recording sent by Lamarre-Condon on the morning of February 20, hours after he texted the man asking about his Monday.
In the voice note played in court, Lamarre-Condon apologized for being absent, stating he had been very sick and was scheduled for an operation the following day. He told the recipient, "I'm trying to get back into a positive mindset," adding that he had no intention of going to the gym that week because his body was not looking its best. He also mentioned canceling plans for a boat party due to his condition.
When the other man attempted to arrange further plans, Lamarre-Condon explained in another recording that he had a Taylor Swift concert scheduled and that his availability depended on the outcome of his surgery. He assured the man not to take his lack of response personally, noting he was in bed and "literally not feeling the best." In a subsequent message, he added, "I don't want to sound like I'm moaning and whinging, I'm actually a pretty positive person."
Later that night, after the man noticed Lamarre-Condon had removed his Instagram account, the accused sent another voice note around midnight on February 21. He explained that he had not blocked the man but had shut down all social media to take a mental break, describing the platforms as addictive. The jury has previously viewed CCTV footage of Lamarre-Condon at St Vincent's Hospital and heard from a surgeon confirming he underwent minor surgery on February 21.
On the morning of his surgery, Lamarre-Condon sent a photo from his hospital bed with the message, "I'm just looking forward to sleeping." His defense team argues that Baird and Davies were accidentally shot during separate struggles while the accused acted in self-defense. Defense lawyer John Stratton SC stated that Lamarre-Condon cleaned the scene and disposed of the bodies because he panicked considerably. The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.
Sources: The Guardian World.