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A housemate of Jesse Baird told the NSW Supreme Court she photographed red liquid and two surfboard bags in the backyard before the Paddington home became a crime scene, as Beau Lamarre-Condon stands trial for two murders.
A housemate of former TV presenter Jesse Baird saw red liquid and two surfboard bags in the backyard of their Paddington share house before it was declared a crime scene, the NSW Supreme Court has heard.
The evidence came on Thursday as images were released of items allegedly dumped by Baird's accused killer. Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, is standing trial on two counts of murder over the shooting deaths of Baird, 26, and his boyfriend, Luke Davies, 29, on February 19, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty. The housemate, referred to in the proceedings as Belinda Smith, told the court that Baird was due to move out on February 20, the day after the alleged murders.
Housemate Saw Red Liquid In Backyard
Cleaners had already been booked before a new housemate arrived. Police body-worn footage captured officers speaking to three cleaners on February 21, before the home was declared a crime scene. Smith said she took a photo at 5.41pm on February 19 of what looked to her like rusted water in the backyard. I saw two surfboard bags with a blue tarp over the top of them and red liquid, she told the court.
I took a photo of the liquid. She said she had not seen the bags or surfboards in the house before, and Baird had never spoken to her about surfing. Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, asked whether she had any reason at the time to suspect anything else was inside the surfboard bags. No, she replied.
She inspected the backyard again the next day and saw the surfboards had been cleared and the liquid was gone. The court heard Smith and another housemate, known as Sarah King, wanted to renew their lease after March 2024 and have a female friend move in instead of Baird. The Crown alleges Lamarre-Condon posed as Baird to send messages to the housemates after his death.
Fake Messages From Baird Phone
One message read: Hi both, I've hired an Air Tasker to come and collect my things. I've just got to get someone with a van for my bed but everything else is clear. I might be doing a road trip to Perth with mates on Thursday night, so should be flying back Sunday and will 100% have it out by then. Smith said they worried Baird's belongings would still be there when the new housemate arrived.
A second message from Baird's phone said: Hey, so sorry, I won't be able to make it tonight. I tried to find an Allen key to dismantle the bed but didn't have one. Would there be any chance the removalist could just put it out the front? The court heard King texted Baird raising concerns he had illegally dumped furniture on the street, and received no reply.
Crown Alleges Jealous Infatuation Motive
The prosecution alleges Lamarre-Condon, then a NSW Police officer, murdered Baird with his police-issued pistol after developing an obsessive and jealous infatuation with him. The Crown says the infatuation escalated when Baird ended their casual relationship in November 2023. Davies, Baird's new boyfriend, was killed to eliminate a witness to the crime, the Crown alleges.
There is no dispute Lamarre-Condon was at the terrace when the two men died, that they died from gunshot wounds from his police-issued pistol, and that he was disguised as a delivery rider. The defence case is that Lamarre-Condon went there to pick up belongings and did not expect anyone to be home.
A struggle followed in which his gun accidentally went off twice, killing Baird, and Davies accidentally shot himself during a second struggle after grabbing the gun, the defence says. The defence says Lamarre-Condon panicked and dumped the bodies in blue surfboard bags at Bungonia, near Goulburn. The court has heard he allegedly dumped furniture and bloodied items belonging to Baird and Davies in a skip bin at Cronulla Bowls Club. Workers discovered the items on February 21.
DNA Mixture Found On Gun
Photographs tendered in court show a number of AFL-branded items in the skip. The court heard Baird worked as an AFL umpire. NSW Police Senior Sergeant Bronwyn Lansley, the lead forensic investigator at the Paddington home, was cross-examined earlier on Thursday by Lamarre-Condon's barrister, John Stratton, SC. Lansley agreed that DNA analysis of a swab from the trigger of the accused's gun indicated a mixture from at least three individuals.
Davies could not be excluded as a major contributor to the mixture, and the accused could not be excluded as the minor contributor, the court heard. The trial continues. Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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theage:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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