Ex-police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon accuses friend of directing body disposal in double murder trial

Beau Lamarre-Condon told the court that a friend pushed him to hide the bodies of two men immediately after a shooting, contradicting the account previously given by that friend. Lamarre-Condon, 31, is on trial for the deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, which occurred on 19 February 2024.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. His legal team has argued that the victims were accidentally shot and that Lamarre-Condon acted in self-defense. The trial, presided over by Justice Natalie Adams, is currently hearing conflicting testimonies regarding what happened in the two days following the incident.

Lamarre-Condon’s statement, read to the jury by prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC, describes picking up a friend, referred to in court as Elizabeth Kennedy, two days after the alleged murders. Lamarre-Condon alleged that he showed Kennedy the bodies in the back of a van and began to cry. He claimed he suggested driving straight to the police station.

According to the statement, Kennedy rejected that plan, telling Lamarre-Condon, “No, no, you can’t. They won’t believe you.” She allegedly cited Taylor Swift’s song “No Body, No Crime” as a reason to dispose of the bodies immediately. Lamarre-Condon stated that he warned Kennedy she could be charged as an accessory to murder and suggested she walk away, but she agreed to help because she believed he would assist her in the future.

The statement details that while driving, Kennedy played the song on her phone and laughed at the situation. Lamarre-Condon alleged she assisted in carrying the bodies to a farm in Bungonia and helped pour concrete into bags to make them sink. He claimed she used his pocketknife to cut holes in a surfboard cover, which caused knife wounds to Luke Davies’ leg. Lamarre-Condon described Kennedy as a “willing participant” who did not complain about the task.

Kennedy’s testimony last week offered a different version of events. She stated that she thought Lamarre-Condon was taking her for lunch when he picked her up. She denied knowing about the bodies or helping to move them. Under questioning by defense barrister John Stratton SC, she said, “I didn’t know anything. I’m five foot and weigh 55 kilos so I don’t think I could carry a body even if I tried.”

Kennedy told the court she waited at a gate while Lamarre-Condon drove to a dam on the farm. She also disputed the claim that she played the Taylor Swift song, stating that Lamarre-Condon was the one who put it on in the car. She noted that the track was “a very niche song.”

On 23 February 2024, Lamarre-Condon contacted a police assistance line to report a psychological injury. In a recording played to the jury, he identified himself and mentioned suffering from anxiety and symptoms of schizophrenia. He told the operator that he had been exposed to trauma, destruction, and death, which had affected his mental capability. He also stated that he had been severely bullied since joining the police force and that nothing had been done about it.

Lamarre-Condon told the operator he was on his way to a central police station and that the detectives were already aware he was being driven there. He handed himself in to police at 10.37am on that morning. The trial continues.