Accused officer tells friend in prison audio: 'I fully take accountability'

Beau Lamarre-Condon told a friend during a prison visit last December that he fully accepts responsibility for his friend's involvement in the case, a Sydney court heard this week. The audio, recorded by the visitor on behalf of police, was played to the jury at the New South Wales Supreme Court on Monday.

Lamarre-Condon, 31, is a police officer accused of killing Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at Baird's Paddington home on February 19, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. The recording captures him claiming he acted in self-defense, contradicting earlier testimony that he confessed to the killings as an 'out-of-body experience.'

In the audio, Lamarre-Condon disputed his friend's recollection that he said Davies was killed to eliminate a witness. Lamarre-Condon stated he was not lying about the details. He argued that his entry into the house was not a break and enter because Baird had provided him with a key. He admitted the entry was trespass but claimed it was common for a former partner to return for belongings.

The officer said he did not knock on the door to avoid being slapped with an apprehended violence order. He noted he did call out hello when walking inside. Lamarre-Condon told the friend, 'If I had planned to do this mate, I'd be cool, calm, collected.' He said he would have had cleaning supplies ready and would not have used his service weapon.

He stated he could have obtained another gun for $10,000 if he had planned the crime. Lamarre-Condon explained that he took his friend to Royal National Park in early 2024 to test the loudness of his firearm. He said he was planning to return there to take his own life due to suicidality from work trauma. The friend threatened to leave multiple times during the call, saying, 'What you're telling me mightn't be the truth.'

The trial is presided over by Justice Natalie Adams. The friend's identity is suppressed. The recording provides a detailed account of Lamarre-Condon's mental state and his interpretation of the events leading up to the shootings.

The jury heard Lamarre-Condon apologize to the friend, stating, 'I fully take accountability that you're involved because of me now.' The visitor had told the court on Friday that Lamarre-Condon initially joked about the confession before explaining the details.