Former Police Officer Re-enacts Shooting in Sydney Double Murder Trial

In a double murder trial under way in Sydney, Australia, former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon stood in the witness box and demonstrated how he says he shot Jesse Baird. He acted out the scene on Monday during cross-examination in the New South Wales Supreme Court.

Lamarre-Condon is accused of fatally shooting Baird and his partner, Luke Davies, with his police service weapon at Baird's home in Paddington on 19 February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder. He also faces a charge of aggravated break and enter.

Under cross-examination, Lamarre-Condon repeated his claim that Baird was holding a knife during a struggle inside the house. He said the knife was next to his throat, and that he pushed Baird back with his right arm.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield asked him to stand up and demonstrate what happened, telling him to put his rosary beads down while he did so. Lamarre-Condon then acted out the struggle for the jury.

Hatfield described the accused's movements to the court. He said Lamarre-Condon, with his left arm out at shoulder height, demonstrated pushing Jesse Baird's right hand with the knife away from him, so that the left arm was fully extended. He then gestured pulling the pistol from around his belt, held it up at around chest or shoulder height, and demonstrated with a bent elbow firing a shot towards Baird's right shoulder.

Lamarre-Condon told the court he discharged a shot and said he was aiming towards Baird's right shoulder. He said his arm did extend, though he did not know to what extent, adding that there was constant movement in the struggle and that it happened very, very quickly.

Hatfield reminded him that last week he had said Baird had pinned him during the struggle, and asked whether he was now suggesting something different by saying he was constantly moving. Lamarre-Condon replied that he was pinned directly before he pushed back and fired the shot, and that there was constant movement before that.

Asked what Baird and Davies were wearing, Lamarre-Condon said both men were only in their underwear and were not wearing shoes.

During his evidence-in-chief last week, Lamarre-Condon stood by his decision to fire the first shot but claimed a second bullet was fired accidentally. On Monday he reiterated that he did not intend to fire the second shot at Baird.

The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.