Jurors in the NSW Supreme Court have viewed extensive CCTV footage tracking former senior constable Beau Lamarre-Condon’s movements across Sydney on February 19, 2024, following the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing the killings occurred during separate violent struggles.
Here is why that matters: The transportation logistics and vehicle usage deployed in the aftermath of the deaths form a core pillar of the prosecution’s case against the former police officer. Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC detailed how the accused drove through the city's streets deep into the night, utilizing multiple vehicles and rideshare services to manage the cleanup.
CCTV Captures Late-Night Transit Across Sydney
Footage played in court on Tuesday showed Lamarre-Condon arriving on foot at an Avis car rental depot at approximately 9 p.m. on February 19, roughly 12 hours after the fatal incidents. According to Uber account records presented by the prosecution, the accused took a rideshare from Kensington—where he left his personal vehicle—directly to the rental lot.
The video evidence reveals Lamarre-Condon driving away from the depot in a Toyota HiAce van. Forensic officers later recovered significant blood staining from the interior of that vehicle. GPS data extracted from the van tracked the vehicle to the rear roller door of Baird’s Paddington share house at around 11 p.m., where it remained parked for 22 minutes before departing.
Prosecution arguments noted that additional footage capturing the van near the Paddington property past midnight on February 20 would be presented later in the proceedings.
Vehicle Swaps and the Escalation of the Crime Scene
The logistics of the vehicles utilized by the accused prior to and immediately after the killings have emerged as a focal point for the jury. On February 18—the day before the alleged murders—CCTV captured Lamarre-Condon waiting outside while his mother hired a Mazda CX-5 SUV from a separate car hire business.
Hatfield told the jury that Lamarre-Condon initially arranged for his mother to rent the SUV because he allegedly intended to kill only Baird. But there is a twist in the prosecution’s narrative: the intervention of Davies, who dialed the triple-zero emergency line, allegedly forced the accused to alter his plans after shooting Davies through a door. Consequently, the prosecution alleges the accused was forced to upsize his vehicle and make additional purchases to accommodate a second body.
| Timeline / Event | Vehicle Involved | Location & Details |
|---|---|---|
| February 18, 2024 | Mazda CX-5 SUV | Hired by the accused’s mother while he waited outside. |
| February 19, 2024 (9:00 PM) | Toyota HiAce Van | Rented from an Avis depot after taking an Uber from Kensington. |
| February 19, 2024 (11:00 PM) | Toyota HiAce Van | Tracked via GPS parked near the rear roller door of Baird’s Paddington home for 22 minutes. |
Emergency Call Audio Disputes Intent
Audio recording from the triple-zero call placed from Davies’ phone was played for the jury on Friday. The recording captured muffled sounds and words before an operator noted, “Caller disconnected, no request,” adding, “I heard a male say, ‘eff off’, call dropped out.”
Lamarre-Condon’s defense counsel maintains that his client made the emergency call himself following the killing of Baird in self-defence, but that the call was cut short during a subsequent struggle that resulted in Davies’ death.
The bodies of Baird and Davies were left overnight in surfboard bags in the courtyard of the Paddington share house. Housemates subsequently discovered a red liquid leaking from one of the bags, capturing a photograph of the scene later that day. The prosecution contends that Lamarre-Condon’s purchase of a second surfboard bag demonstrates his adaptation to an unexpected second fatality. Conversely, the defense argues that the extensive measures taken to clean the area and dispose of the bodies point to acute panic rather than premeditated murderous intent. The trial before the NSW Supreme Court continues.
