Former Officer Claims Friend Directed Disposal of Two Bodies

Beau Lamarre-Condon, a former police officer, told a jury on Tuesday that a friend encouraged him to dispose of two bodies immediately after he allegedly shot them. The 31 year old is on trial for the murder of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, who were killed in Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter, arguing that the shootings were accidental and that he acted in self defence.

The defendant’s account directly contradicts the testimony of his companion, known to the court as Elizabeth Kennedy. Last week, Kennedy stated she believed they were going for lunch when Lamarre-Condon picked her up two days after the incident. She denied assisting with the body disposal, telling the court, “I didn’t know anything.” She also noted her small stature, saying she is five foot tall and weighs 55 kilos, which made carrying a body physically difficult for her.

In a statement read by prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC, Lamarre-Condon alleged that Kennedy “flat out lied to police” about her role. He claimed that after he showed her the bodies in the back of a van, he began to cry and suggested driving to the police station. According to Lamarre-Condon, Kennedy replied, “No, no, you can’t. They won’t believe you. This is like Taylor Swift’s song, No Body, No Crime. We have to get rid of them straight away.”

Lamarre-Condon stated that Kennedy played the song on her phone while they drove and laughed at the situation. He alleged she assisted in carrying the bodies to a farm in Bungonia and helped pour concrete into bags to make them sink. He claimed that when the bags would not sink, Kennedy used his pocketknife to cut holes in the surfboard cover, which caused knife wounds to Davies’ leg. Lamarre-Condon said he did not report Kennedy’s involvement initially because she begged him not to, but he added that he could not lie under oath in court.

The jury also heard a recording of a phone call Lamarre-Condon made to a police assistance line on 23 February 2024, four days after the shootings. He reported a psychological injury, citing anxiety and “some symptoms of schizophrenia.” He told the operator he had been exposed to trauma, destruction, and death, which left him without his prior mental capability. He also claimed he had been severely bullied since joining the force. Lamarre-Condon asked the operator to delete the call, stating, “We’ll just keep it short and sweet.”

The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues. Lamarre-Condon handed himself into police at 10:37 am on 23 February 2024. He told the operator in the recording that detectives were already aware he was being driven to a central police station.