Trial expected to last two to three months with more than 200 witnesses
The trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon opened in Sydney on Monday, more than two years after the February 2024 deaths of television presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies. Lamarre-Condon, a former NSW police officer, faces two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. He has pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
Baird was 26 at the time of his death and worked as a television presenter. Davies was 29 and was in a relationship with Baird. Lamarre-Condon is now 31 and served as an officer with the New South Wales police before the charges were laid.
The case has faced ongoing delays since the charges were first filed, according to the Guardian’s live coverage of the trial’s opening day. The publication did not detail the specific reasons for each postponement.
Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday at the NSW Supreme Court on King Street. Depending on how long the empanelment process takes, the court may hear the Crown’s opening statement later the same afternoon.
Justice Natalie Adams will preside over the trial, which is expected to run two to three months. The Crown’s brief of evidence includes more than 200 witnesses, according to the Guardian.
The case has received significant media attention in the period since the deaths, and the trial is expected to attract substantial public interest as the proceedings continue, the Guardian reported.