Former officer claims self-defence in double murder trial over deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies

A former New South Wales police officer accused of fatally shooting two men has told a Sydney court he acted in self-defence during a struggle over a firearm.

Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to the fatal shootings of 26-year-old Jesse Baird and his partner, 29-year-old Luke Davies, 29, with a police service weapon at Baird's Paddington home on 19 February 2024. Lamarre-Condon told the court he began cleaning up the scene afterward because he "panicked."

During the trial, Lamarre-Condon's defence has centred on the claim that a struggle occurred over the gun, forming the basis of a self-defence argument for the deaths of both men.

The case has drawn significant public attention in Australia given Lamarre-Condon's background as a former police officer and the use of a police service weapon in the killings. The trial continues in the New South Wales court system, with further proceedings expected as both prosecution and defence present their cases.

No verdict has yet been reached, and the trial remains ongoing.