Former Australian police officer reenacts in court how he says he shot Jesse Baird
At the Sydney trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, he physically demonstrated to the jury how he claims he fired at Jesse Baird. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.
In the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney, former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon on Monday, 9 November, acted out how he says he shot Jesse Baird while giving evidence under cross-examination at his double murder trial. The case turns on whether the shots were fired in self-defence, as the accused claims, or amounted to murder.
Lamarre-Condon is accused of fatally shooting Baird and Baird's partner, Luke Davies, with his police service weapon at Baird's home in the Sydney suburb of Paddington on 19 February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter.
The courtroom demonstration
Lamarre-Condon repeated his claim that Baird held a knife during a struggle in the house. He said the blade was next to his throat, which led him to push Baird back with his right arm. Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield asked him to stand and demonstrate, telling him to put down his rosary beads first.
Hatfield described the movements for the jury: the accused extended his left arm at shoulder height to push away Baird's right hand holding the knife, gestured to pull the pistol around his belt area, raised it to about chest or shoulder height and, with a bent elbow, fired towards Baird's right shoulder.
Lamarre-Condon told the court he aimed at Baird's right shoulder. He said his arm extended, but he did not know how far, because there was constant movement in the struggle and it all happened very quickly.
Hatfield noted that last week the accused said Baird had pinned him, and asked whether he was now suggesting something different. Lamarre-Condon replied that he was pinned directly before he pushed back and fired, with constant movement before that.
He also said both men were wearing only underwear and no shoes. Last week he stood by his decision to fire the first shot but claimed a second bullet was fired accidentally. On Monday he repeated that he did not intend to fire the second shot at Baird. The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.
