Accused killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon is close to entering pleas after his alleged double-murder of a Sydney gay couple.
The former police officer is accused of fatally shooting former Channel 10 presenter Jesse Baird and Baird’s Qantas flight attendant boyfriend Luke Davies with his police-issued gun on February 19.
Lawyers acting for Lamarre-Condon appeared before Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, telling the court that they had met with prosecutors and were in the “last throes” of finalising a plea according to The Daily Telegraph.
However, the court is not set to reconvene until November 5, the date of the next hearing for the case.
Solicitor John Walford, acting for Lamarre-Condon, said the matter would be committed at the November hearing but did not elaborate on whether it would be for trial or sentencing.
If a defendant pleads guilty, the case will generally bypass the committal process and move directly to sentencing. However, Walford has previously indicated his client’s murder charges could be defensible, potentially on mental health grounds.
If Lamarre-Condon pleads not guilty, the magistrate will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to a higher court. If the magistrate deems the evidence strong enough, the accused will be committed for trial. If not, the charges may be dismissed.
Lamarre-Condon did not appear before court on Tuesday, as he remains in prison where he has been since surrendering himself to police on February 23, four days after the alleged murders.
The 29-year-old is facing two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one count of aggravated breaking and entering with intent to commit a serious indictable offence.
The breaking and entering charge came after police alleged Lamarre-Condon broke into Baird’s share house in August last year, intending to commit the serious offence of stalking the presenter.
Lamarre-Condon was removed from the NSW Police Force in March.
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: eliot.hastie@gaysydneynews.com.au
