Accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon has denied watching former TV presenter Jesse Baird through his window “like a little creep” but admitted he saw him having sex and later went through his phone and left a bobby pin in his front door lock.
asserted
him → accuse → lock
The former NSW police officer started giving evidence on Thursday in his Supreme Court double murder trial in Sydney and gave at times emotional testimony about alleged homophobia in the force and the effect of work-related trauma on his mental health.
asserted
officer → start → health
The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering Baird, 26, a former Network Ten producer and presenter, and Luke Davies, 29, a Qantas flight attendant, in Paddington on February 19, 2024.
asserted
old → plead → February
He denied claims in court by a former friend, dubbed Elizabeth Kennedy in the proceedings, that he sent her a photo on the encrypted messaging app Signal of Baird apparently in bed with another man.
uncertain
he → deny → man
Lamarre-Condon said he and Baird had a “very, very civil” breakup on April 17, 2023, after meeting in October 2022, when the TV presenter said he was not ready for a relationship with anyone.
asserted
he → say → anyone
He said he had read Baird’s Instagram messages with another man days earlier, when Baird gave him access to his phone to edit a video.
asserted
Baird → say → video
He sent a photo of Baird’s messages to “multiple friends asking for advice”, he told the court.
asserted
he → send → court
The accused said he visited Baird’s home one night after April 21 to collect some of his belongings, and “Jesse’s bedroom light was on, and he has sheer curtains so you can completely see through”.
asserted
you → accuse → curtains
“I thought I would just knock on his window … to get his attention,” he said.
asserted
he → think → attention
“I saw Jesse having sex with a male.
asserted
Jesse → see → male
“I kind of froze in a bit of a shock, and I maybe stood there for like five seconds.
asserted
I → freeze → seconds
I did not stay and watch like a little creep.”
asserted
I → stay → creep
He said he did not take a photo and “I actually laughed about it with friends” because “we were no longer together, there was no reason to be angry or mad about it”.
asserted
we → say → it
Lamarre-Condon told the court he had met Baird in October 2022 at the Universal nightclub on Oxford Street.
asserted
he → tell → Street
Their relationship started as “friends with a sexual relationship”, he said, but by December they had started going on “romantic dates” including to the movies and dinner.
asserted
they → start → movies
“Jesse was very much like me; he was very outgoing and into doing sporting activities,” he said.
asserted
he → do → activities
Lamarre-Condon was asked by his barrister, John Stratton, SC, about CCTV footage the court has heard was found on his iCloud account after his arrest.
asserted
court → ask → arrest
The footage from the Royal Hotel in Paddington on May 19, 2023, shows Baird was on a date with another man, the court has heard.
uncertain
court → show → man
The accused said he came across the footage while helping police colleagues with official duties, following an alleged assault nearby.
asserted
he → say → assault
Baird had invited him to “swing by” the hotel that evening, Lamarre-Condon said, and the CCTV snippet was “filmed by me on my phone”.
asserted
snippet → invite → phone
He said the actual footage requested by police did not depict Baird.
asserted
footage → say → Baird
“I didn’t save that footage to my phone or my computer,” Lamarre-Condon said.
asserted
Condon → save → phone
He said it “got onto my phone through WhatsApp,” automatically saving it.
asserted
it → say → it
“I actually sent this to Jesse,” he said.
asserted
he → send → Jesse
He testified that he said something like: “I came to see you.
asserted
I → testify → you
You weren’t here, but Detective Beau’s on the case.
asserted
Beau → ’ → case
It was like joking banter.”
asserted
It → joke → banter
Lamarre-Condon said his relationship with Baird resumed after the April breakup, “just after my birthday dinner” in June 2023.
asserted
relationship → say → June
The court has heard evidence from other witnesses that Baird regarded their relationship at all times as casual rather than exclusive.
asserted
Baird → hear → times
The accused has pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of breaking into Baird’s home on August 17, 2023, and stealing his wallet and mobile phone.
asserted
accused → accuse → wallet
He told the court on Thursday that Baird had invited him over that night “and said he would leave the key out in the letterbox if I chose to come over”.
asserted
I → tell → letterbox
Lamarre-Condon said he arrived “after 10pm”, used the key to let himself in, but put a bobby pin in the lock.
asserted
he → say → lock
“I wanted to see if Jesse was in a relationship [with another man] or not,” he said.
asserted
he → want → man
“My mindset at the time was if Jesse was asleep, I could check his phone without him knowing across the road.
uncertain
him → check → road
“If he was to wake up and come outside, he would see the bobby pin [and] not be under the impression that it was me going through his phone.”
asserted
it → wake → phone
Baird did wake up and “gave chase” without knowing who it was, he said.
asserted
he → wake → chase
“It was stupid, and I admit that it was stupid,” he said.
asserted
he → admit → ?
The court has heard that Baird broke up with Lamarre-Condon permanently in November 2023.
asserted
Baird → hear → November
Lamarre-Condon told the court he eventually admitted to Baird that month that he had posted an image of flowers on Instagram to “insinuate” that they were from Baird.
asserted
they → tell → Baird
He said he initially “denied, denied, denied” but “10 hours after denying it I came clean” in a voice note.
asserted
I → say → note
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
