The Beau Lamarre-Condon Trial: Why The Delays? And What Comes Next?

The trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon, the man alleged to have murdered beloved Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February this year, appeared before the Downing Centre magistrates court in Sydney on Tuesday (November 18, 2024).

Lawyers acting for the accused Beau Lamarre-Condon were granted a 12-week adjournment, while the court was told more delays are expected in the case.

There’s a lot happening on this front, so Star Observer has put together a rundown of the trial as it stands, and media coverage in the wake of Tuesday’s court appearance.

Why is the Beau Lamarre-Condon delayed?

The case against former New South Wales police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has already progressed slowly. November 23 will mark nine months since double murder charges were first laid.

The adjournment requested by his new Legal Aid council will mean Lamarre-Condon will likely have been in custody at Long Bay jail for a year when his case proceeds.

Lamarre-Condon did not attend court Tuesday, but members of his family appeared by video link.

Lamarre-Condon switched lawyers in early November, requesting taxpayer funded Legal Aid counsel after high profile defence lawyer John Walford stood aside from the case. Star Observer has contacted Mr Walford for comment.

At the time, magistrate Clare Farnan urged the new Legal Aid counsel to avoid further delays to the case. The solicitor acting for the New South Wales Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) did not oppose the adjournment requested on Tuesday and said, “further delay is foreshadowed”.

Mr Walford had previously told the court his client had been unable to access necessary officials, including forensic psychiatrists, and would be unable to until April 2025. A 50-page affidavit submitted on Tuesday by Mr Lamarre Condon’s Legal Aid representative doubled down on this position. A forensic psychiatrist is usually a specialist in analysing or diagnosing the link between mental health and criminal offending. 

The ODPP solicitor had previously rejected calls for a five month adjournment on these grounds arguing it was unclear Mr Lamarre-Condon had made genuine efforts to find necessary officials, including the forensic psychiatrist.

Why did Lamarre-Condon change lawyers?

A case conference is now scheduled at Downing magistrates court for February 4, 2025, while a senior public defender who is yet to be named examines the case. Lamarre-Condon’s former lawyer John Walford served with NSW Police for 20 years, and the ODPP for 15 years before going into private practice in 2016.

While Mr Walford’s website doesn’t list costs, senior barristers are known to charge between $5,000 and $10,000 a day. Lamarre-Condon’s successful application for Legal Aid potentially means neither he nor his family can presently afford to pay for a private defence lawyer.

In June last year, Mr Walford said Mr Lamarre-Condon was planning a civil case against New South Wales Police. “I think it’s starting, a civil suit against NSW Police. There’s a lot involved, a young police officer in the police force for a fair while. He’s got some issues, they’ll sort it out in the civil courts,” Mr Walford said.

The Daily Telegraph in February reported on the day he handed himself into NSW Police, Mr Lamarre-Condon used his work computer to submit a complaint he was being bullied and harassed at work.

No mention has been made of this since the change in counsel.

What plea is Beau Lamarre-Condon likely to enter?

The mention of forensic psychiatrists in court means it is possible Mr Lamarre-Condon will enter a plea arguing he was mentally impaired at the time Jesse and Luke were killed. This is speculation only. In June, Mr Lamarre-Condon’s former lawyer John Walford told reporters outside the Downing Centre court: “He may [rely on mental health grounds]; it may go to trial”.

A future plea will depend on the advice of the new Legal Aid defence team, but the 50-page affidavit they presented in court Tuesday made it clear a forensic psychiatrist is still being sought. ABC News reported media were denied requests to access the affidavit.

The court was told in October that Lamarre-Condon’s plea was only “weeks away”. The sudden change of legal counsel means a plea can’t be entered until the next court date on February 4, and possibly not even then, depending on requests made by the defence team on the day.

Police charged Lamarre-Condon with two counts of murder in February, before replacing these with two counts of domestic violence-related murder and adding one count of aggravated break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence in July.

Domestic violence-related murder carries no minimum sentence in NSW, but the standard non-parole period is 20 years.

Lamarre-Condon is also alleged to have taken bullets from a NSW Police firing range and used his service firearm to commit the murders. NSW Police announced they would investigate processes around firearms and also recruitment measures that saw Lamarre-Condon join the force despite later allegations of delusion.

Star Observer has contacted NSW Police for an update on the process.

Media coverage of the trial

The death of Jesse and Luke in February this year led to prolonged national and international news coverage given slender initial hopes the couple might be found safely. The Lamarre-Condon trial has continued to make headlines each time it comes before the magistrate’s bench. Analysis by the Star Observer found Mr Lamarre-Condon’s name was mentioned by Australian media 90 times across November 19 and 20.

Majority of the major media outlets have maintained regular coverage of the trial. News Corp and the Australian Associated Press have both syndicated their reporting across dozens of additional Australian print and digital titles.

Recent coverage of the trial has been largely overshadowed by charges laid against controversial former media personality Alan Jones.

Should Lamarre-Condon enter a plea other than guilty that would see the case go to trial, it is likely to garner widespread media attention given Lamarre-Condon’s career as a NSW Police officer. A trial would also likely be a landmark in the public discussion of domestic violence in the LGBTQIA+ community.