Accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon has told a court that he shot Jesse Baird twice after the former TV presenter lunged at him with a knife before he called Triple Zero in a bid to “save him”.
asserted
he → accuse → him
The former NSW police officer testified for the first time on Friday in his Supreme Court criminal trial about the day Baird and his boyfriend, Luke Davies, died of gunshot wounds from Lamarre-Condon’s police-issued Glock pistol.
asserted
Baird → testify → pistol
The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering Baird, 26, a former Network Ten producer and presenter, and Davies, 29, a Qantas flight attendant, at Baird’s Paddington share house on February 19, 2024.
asserted
old → plead → February
Lamarre-Condon told the court on Friday that he went to Baird’s house that morning to collect some of his belongings after their relationship ended in November 2023.
asserted
relationship → tell → November
He said the relationship was romantic but not exclusive.
asserted
relationship → say → ?
“I was worried if I knocked on the door it may be perceived as harassment ... because Jesse told me, ‘please refrain from contacting me’,” Lamarre-Condon said.
uncertain
Condon → worry → me
He said he had his police gun with him because he had contemplated taking his own life on the night of February 18 over work-related trauma and had yet to return it.
asserted
he → say → it
He saw a delivery rider’s bike near Baird’s home, he said, with an “Uber Eats motorcycle helmet”, high-vis hooded jacket, waterproof long pants, gloves and paper bags.
asserted
he → see → helmet
‘I had an idea’
asserted
I → have → idea
“As soon as I saw that, I had an idea,” he said.
asserted
he → see → idea
He appeared to become emotional as he added: “It’s this moment here …
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It → appear → ?
I wish that I didn’t do this.”
asserted
I → wish → this
It struck him that if he “was to put on this helmet and motorcycle outfit and look like a delivery driver” he could knock on Baird’s door without being recognised, and “that way I couldn’t be falsely accused of harassment or an AVO be placed against me”.
Lamarre-Condon said he knocked three times on the door, which was ajar, and said hello loudly.
uncertain
which → strike → door
Nobody answered, and he entered the house and looked inside some storage boxes for his belongings, he said.
asserted
he → answer → belongings
He “ran upstairs to hide” behind a bedroom door after hearing noises from behind the back door near the kitchen and seeing an arm, he said.
asserted
he → run → arm
He took off the high-visibility jacket and backpack, but “kept the helmet on and the visor was down”.
asserted
visor → take → helmet
“Sorry, I’m just going to wait one second,” he added, dabbing at his eyes with a tissue.
asserted
he → go → tissue
The first two shots
Lamarre-Condon said that he waited until he believed the person had left and went back downstairs, where he encountered Baird, who was sealing shut a storage box in the kitchen with masking tape in his left hand and a knife in his right hand.
asserted
who → say → hand
“He looked up at me ... he started yelling ‘we’re getting robbed, we’re getting robbed,’” he said.
asserted
he → look → me
“He couldn’t see that it was me because the visor was down.
asserted
visor → see → ?
I froze, and then I realised that, shit, he doesn’t know it’s me.
asserted
it → freeze → ?
He dropped the tape, and he lunged at me [with the knife].”
asserted
he → drop → knife
He said he yelled: “‘Jesse, it’s Beau, it’s Beau, it’s me, calm the f--- down.’
asserted
it → say → f---
Jesse wouldn’t have reacted that way if he knew it was me.”
asserted
it → react → ?
He said they began to struggle over the knife, and he couldn’t get the visor on the helmet up “because I had both of my hands holding his forearms and his wrist”.
asserted
both → say → wrist
Baird “kept swinging the knife towards me”, he said.
asserted
he → swing → me
Lamarre-Condon said he was pinned up against a kitchen wall and Baird had the knife near his throat.
asserted
Baird → say → throat
“The helmet didn’t cover that part of my neck,” he said, indicating the left side of his throat.
asserted
he → cover → throat
He aimed for Baird’s right shoulder and “discharged the firearm”, he said.
asserted
he → aim → firearm
“Jesse grabbed onto the front of the gun”, he said, and “yanked it forward”.
asserted
he → grab → it
‘Jesse did not have his finger on the trigger’
asserted
Jesse → have → trigger
Lamarre-Condon said both men fell to the ground, and he accidentally discharged the gun for a second time.
asserted
he → say → time
“Jesse did not have his finger on the trigger,” he said.
asserted
he → have → trigger
I’ve said from the start I am guilty of manslaughter and I’m responsible for his death, but it wasn’t intentional.”
asserted
it → say → death
He said he was unaware at the time that the bullet went through his head.
asserted
bullet → say → head
‘What do I do to save him’
asserted
I → do → him
Lamarre-Condon said that his “first thought process” was to get Baird help and “there was a phone on the kitchen counter”.
asserted
process → say → counter
“You don’t need to have someone’s password to call … Triple Zero,” he said.
asserted
he → need → Zero
“Again, now I’m into police mode, it’s what do I do to save him.
asserted
I → ’m → him
I checked his pulse, and then I started saying, ‘Jesse, Jesse, can you hear me?
asserted
you → check → me
…and 25 more, not listed.
The Aporia
