Beau Lamarre-Condon’s acquaintance caught up in alleged cover-up of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies murder

A female acquaintance of murder accused Beau Lamarre-Condon believed she was just helping a friend when she drove with the NSW police officer in a rented van from Sydney to a rural property in the Southern Tablelands, stopping on the way to purchase an angle grinder and padlock.

But detectives believe the woman, who is not a suspect in the alleged murder case, unwittingly helped Constable Lamarre-Condon dispose of the bodies of his ex-lover former television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29.

NSW Police deputy commissioner Dave Hudson said on Monday the woman travelled with Constable Lamarre-Condon to Bungonia, about 180km southwest of Sydney on Wednesday, the same day bloody possessions were found in a skip bin in Cronulla in the city’s south.

Deputy Commissioner Hudson, who described the woman as an “innocent agent”, had told investigators the angle grinder was used to cut a padlock on the property’s gate, which was replaced by the padlock purchased at a hardware store in Goulburn.

“The acquaintance was left at the top of the property for a period of 30 minutes,” said Mr Hudson.

“The accused disappeared for that period in the HiAce van, returning to pick up the acquaintance and then they returned to Sydney later that afternoon.”

Deputy commissioner Hudson said later that day Constable Lamarre-Condon returned to the Hazelton Road property at about 11pm with weights he’d purchased from a department store before driving to Newcastle and asking another friend he could borrow a hose to clean the van.

Investigators believe Constable Lamarre-Condon then returned to the Hazelton Road property a third time to move the bodies before handing himself to police on Friday.

Police divers on Monday searched multiple dams at the Bungonia property, about 180km southwest of Sydney, as new details emerged of the alleged double murder that has horrified Sydney ahead of annual gay and lesbian mardi gras celebrations.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb is resisting calls for police to withdraw from marching in the annual parade and said the alleged murder of Baird and Davies was a “crime of passion” instead of “gay hate-related” as she announced Victoria Police commissioner Shane Patton would lead a review of NSW police policies on officers accessing and storing service firearms.

“We can assure the public it will be an independent review of our systems,” she said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns also backed police marching in the Mardi Gras parade and said gay and lesbian police members had fought for the right to be included in the annual celebrations.

Lamarre-Condon kept his gun with him after working an overtime shift at a rally in support of Palestine in Sydney’s CBD last Sunday before the weapon was returned to Miranda police station after the alleged murders, according to reports.

Jesse Baird’s mother Helen on Sunday shared a photo of herself about to kiss her son’s cheek on Facebook on Sunday, the television presenter tanned and smiling as he clutched a beer.

Mourners left bouquets of flowers on the wrought iron gate outside the Victorian terrace where Baird, a popular employee at Channel 10, lived with Davies, his current partner in Paddington in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

A GoFundMe started by Channel 10 employee Tamara Simoneau on Sunday had raised almost $15,000 by Monday afternoon, including a $1000 donation by Narelda Jacobs.

“Jesse was loved beyond measure in so many different circles - his Totally Wild fam, his Studio 10 fam, his AFL fam and so so many more,” said the fundraiser.

“We are all heartbroken but can’t begin to imagine the pain his immediate family is enduring.”

Investigators believe Baird and Constable Lamarre-Condon, who is refusing to cooperate with police, had been in an “on again-off again” relationship that ended in late 2023.

Deputy commissioner Hudson said some of Lamarre-Condon’s behavior during his relationship with Baird could be described as “predatory” and said the constable had once allegedly broken into his former partner’s house to delete contacts and messages on his ex-boyfriend’s phone.

“There has been activity ... at that house which, in hindsight, appears suspicious,” he said.

Baird, a beloved presenter at Channel 10, was living in the terrace house in Paddington in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with Davies, his current partner.

Deputy commissioner Hudson said a triple-0 call was made just four minutes after neighbours reported hearing gunshots at his Paddington terrace at about 9.50am last Monday but the call failed.

Lamarre-Condon joined NSW Police in 2018 and reportedly regularly posted photos of himself with his police issued weapon as well as photos with celebrities such as pop singer Taylor Swift.

He also harboured dreams of becoming an actor and operated an Instagram account under the stage name “Beau London”.

Constable Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts of murder and is due to return before Waverley Local Court in April.

WITH AAP