The lawyer for police officer Beaumont Lamarre-Condon says his client’s murder charges could be defendable, potentially on mental health grounds.
Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies and his former TV presenter partner Jessie Baird were allegedly murdered in Sydney's east when Lamarre-Condon shot them with his service weapon while off-duty in February.
The crime was allegedly committed in Baird's home in inner-city Paddington.
On Tuesday, the case against Lamarre-Condon was briefly heard at Sydney’s Downing Centre court where it was adjourned while the defence waits for further evidence from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Lamarre has remained at Silverwater’s remand centre since being charged with the murders and did not appear in court via video link on Tuesday.
The court heard that prosecutors had given parts of the evidence to Lamarre’s legal team and would serve the remainder in June.
Outside court, Lamarre’s lawyer John Walford told reporters he was unsure how Lamarre would plead.
Asked if the charges were “defendable”, Walford said “they could be”, while flagging that mental health was likely to play a part in the defence.
Police have said they will allege Lamarre’s February 19 attack was premeditated after a months-long campaign of predatory behaviour targeting Baird, with whom he had previously had a romantic encounter.
Prior to the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon was captured on CCTV entering a shop in Sydney where he purchased a surfboard bag that police will allege he used to transport one of the bodies.
He was captured again purchasing a second surfboard bag at the same store three hours after the alleged murders.
The couple's bodies were located days later on February 27 about 200 kilometres south-west of Sydney near Goulburn.
Police allege Baird’s murder was planned and targeted, but that Davies was only killed because he was at his partner’s house at the same time.
Lamarre-Condon, a 28-year-old senior constable at the time of the alleged murders, was sacked from NSW Police about a month after he was charged.
Baird was farewelled by his loved ones at a funeral in Melbourne in March while Davies was remembered by loved ones at a memorial service at New Farm Park in Brisbane on Saturday.
The matter will return to court on June 18.
This article was written by Eliot Hastie, who knew Baird.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
