By Ahmed Abdelsalam
A covert recording of a prison meeting was played during the murder trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon, a former police officer accused of killing Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. In the recording, Lamarre-Condon is heard apologizing to a friend, stating, “I fully take accountability that you’re involved because of me now.”
Details of the Prison Conversation
The conversation, which was recorded by the friend on behalf of the police during a prison visit last December, captured Lamarre-Condon expressing paranoia about being monitored. During the exchange, the friend expressed distress over the situation, to which Lamarre-Condon responded by discussing his level of self-awareness and disputing certain aspects of the friend's police statements.
Lamarre-Condon also addressed the circumstances of his entry into the victims' Paddington home. He claimed he did not intend to commit a break-in, alleging that Jesse Baird had a key cut for him, though he admitted the entry was trespassing. He further argued that he did not knock to avoid an apprehended violence order but did call out upon entering.
Defense and Prosecution Arguments
In the recording, Lamarre-Condon suggested that if he had planned the killings, he would have been more calculated, including having cleaning supplies ready and avoiding the use of a police service weapon. He also mentioned experiencing suicidal thoughts due to work-related trauma and claimed he had previously tested his firearm in the Royal National Park.
During cross-examination, defense lawyer John Stratton, SC, suggested that the friend had proposed sinking the bodies in a dam. The witness denied this, stating he had warned Lamarre-Condon that the bodies would likely float. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter.
