ABC News (AU)
· collected 2026-10-09 · by Millie Roberts and Jamie McKinnell
Ten months before he was allegedly killed, Jesse Baird said he was not in a relationship with Beau Lamarre-Condon.
uncertain
he → kill → Condon
"Beau and I see each other from time to time however we aren't 'seeing' each other or in a relationship," Mr Baird wrote in an Instagram message in April 2023.
asserted
Baird → see → April
Mr Lamarre-Condon, accused of his murder, had taken a photo of the exchange after going "through [Mr Baird's] phone" while staying over.
asserted
Condon → accuse → phone
He forwarded the image to his colleague and friend, Senior Constable Nicole Harvell.
asserted
He → forward → colleague
Beau Lamarre-Condon: Argh idk if I'm being stupid or not or I'm wasting my time
Ms Harvell replied to him in the morning.
asserted
Harvell → idk → morning
Nicole Harvell: … he told him he's not seeing you.
asserted
he → tell → you
Well of course he's seeing you.
asserted
he → see → you
Mr Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, accused of shooting Mr Baird and his new boyfriend, Luke Davies, using a police pistol in February 2024.
asserted
Condon → plead → February
The former police officer's lawyers have indicated an argument of self-defence, telling jurors that separate struggles inside Mr Baird's Paddington home in Sydney resulted in two tragic deaths.
asserted
struggles → indicate → deaths
The Crown said Mr Lamarre-Condon developed an "obsessive and jealous infatuation" with Mr Baird after the end of a somewhat casual romance, and had allegedly stalked him in the months prior.
uncertain
Condon → say → months
Mr Lamarre-Condon's lawyer said it was not disputed his client "did some stupid things, such as looking through the phone of Jesse Baird, deleting contacts of other men, and deleting text messages".
asserted
client → say → messages
Ms Harvell is the latest of a number of witnesses whose communications with the defendant have been tendered as evidence.
asserted
communications → tender → evidence
They are being asked in court what he told them of his connection with Mr Baird at various points.
asserted
he → ask → points
Mr Lamarre-Condon confided in Ms Harvell from March 2023 about what she dubbed the "Jesse saga".
asserted
she → confide → what
His messages with her paint a picture of how the accused perceived the on-again-off-again relationship, his insecurities about Mr Baird seeing other people, and his online surveillance in the lead-up to the alleged double murder.
asserted
Baird → paint → murder
The jury has heard Mr Lamarre-Condon met Mr Baird in 2022, but there was a "disconnect" between what each saw as the nature of the relationship and where it was going.
asserted
it → hear → relationship
Mr Baird regarded it as "somewhat casual", while the defendant was "infatuated", the prosecutor has said.
asserted
prosecutor → regard → it
In March 2023, Ms Harvell and Mr Lamarre-Condon discussed how Mr Baird seeing another man left him feeling "triggered", and he was checking Mr Baird's Instagram followers.
asserted
he → discuss → followers
In the weeks that followed, he described the pair going on dates, a getaway with a dog, and spending Easter together.
asserted
pair → follow → Easter
On April 17, Mr Lamarre-Condon addressed what he had recently seen on Mr Baird's phone.
asserted
he → address → phone
Beau Lamarre-Condon: Ending it with him this arvo
Nicole Harvell: … Are you going to tell him about the messages you saw?
asserted
you → end → messages
Beau Lamarre-Condon: … Yeah I'll tell him about the messages but I might tell a semi white lie and not say I went through his phone 😅
uncertain
I → tell → phone
Ms Harvell told the court Mr Lamarre-Condon knew Mr Baird's phone passcode.
asserted
Condon → tell → passcode
She said at that point, Mr Lamarre-Condon had spoken to her about it not being an exclusive relationship, and said he "came across to me as paranoid" about Mr Baird's interest in him.
asserted
he → say → him
Ms Harvell recalled being told it was the accused who ended the "so-called relationship", partially because he had seen an unfamiliar pair of underwear in Mr Baird's room.
asserted
he → recall → room
She told the court he was initially "satisfied" with his decision, but later became "quite fixated".
asserted
he → tell → decision
Via text, Mr Lamarre-Condon questioned if Mr Baird had muted his Instagram stories to "get over me" and checked what he was listening to on Spotify in May.
uncertain
he → question → May
In October, Mr Lamarre-Condon announced Mr Baird would accompany him on a holiday.
asserted
Baird → announce → holiday
Beau Lamarre-Condon: Ummm sooooo
Jesse is coming to Bali with me for NYE
Nicole Harvell: … But still not in a relationship?
asserted
Jesse → come → relationship
Come November, a month out from the flight, Mr Lamarre-Condon said they were no longer seeing each other.
asserted
they → say → other
This second apparent break-up was attributed in court to the defendant's targeted use of Instagram stories to discourage romantic rivals, and his alleged interference with Mr Baird's phone by blocking contacts.
asserted
up → attribute → contacts
Ms Harvell said in an attempt to get other men to "back off", Mr Lamarre-Condon uploaded a generic photo of flowers, making it visible only to certain accounts through the app's 'close friends' function.
asserted
it → say → function
Mr Baird was not able to view that post, but someone who did sent him a screenshot.
asserted
who → view → screenshot
He confronted the accused, asking via text: "What's this about?"
asserted
this → confront → What
Ms Harvell said Mr Lamarre-Condon, in "damage control", paid $160 for a florist to replicate the bouquet and asked his mother, Coleen Lamarre, to pose for the photo and write a note herself.
asserted
Condon → say → note
The 888-word message
Mr Lamarre-Condon sent Mr Baird a series of messages asking him to call or "chat in person", saying he was "confused" and he did not "understand why this [the flowers] is an issue", a screenshot sent to Ms Harvell showed.
asserted
screenshot → send → Harvell
He then shared an 888-word draft to her of a message he wanted to send to Mr Baird on November 16.
asserted
he → share → November
You feel as if I possibly blocked someone on your Instagram, as I was with you this morning, which would be a massive betrayal of your trust …
… When I re-entered this situation with you, I even said to you I want to live in the moment with you and I don't want to know about anything or anybody else …
Mr Lamarre-Condon said Mr Baird had mentioned a "few examples" of concern brought to his attention, including the "flower situation".
Beau Lamarre-Condon: … Where I honestly didn't do that, you not believing my word after never giving you a reason not too …
uncertain
you → feel → reason
I'm sure you would feel gutted/hurt not knowing how to prove your innocence …
asserted
you → feel → innocence
The next day, Ms Harvell told the accused she was "torn" whether it would be worth him telling Mr Baird about blocking a man he had been casually seeing.
asserted
he → tell → man
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
