Texts sent from Jesse Baird’s phone revealed in Lamarre-Condon murder trial

Former TV presenter Jesse Baird appeared to send his housemates a series of text messages about moving out the day after he was allegedly murdered by Beau Lamarre-Condon, a court has heard.

The text exchange was released by the NSW Supreme Court after it was shown to the jury in former police officer Lamarre-Condon’s trial over the shooting deaths of Baird, a former Network Ten producer and presenter, and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies.

Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Baird, 26, and Davies, 29, in Baird’s Paddington share house with his police-issued Glock pistol on the morning of February 19, 2024.

The Crown alleges the accused sent messages from Baird’s phone to a housemates’ group chat on February 20 to give the impression he was still alive.

At 5.56pm on February 19, hours after the alleged murders, a housemate – dubbed Belinda Smith in the proceedings – texted a photo of what she believed to be “rusted water” near surfboard bags and a tarpaulin in the courtyard of the home to another housemate.

The second housemate, known as Sarah King in the case, replied: “What the actual f---?”

Smith told the court on Thursday that she inspected the backyard again the following day and “saw that the surfboards had been cleared, and the liquid was gone”.

Texts between all three housemates, tendered in court, show a series of messages from Baird’s phone the day after his death.

The court has heard Smith and King had asked Baird to move out so that another female friend could join them in the terrace. He was slated to move out on February 20, the day after the alleged murders.

“Hi both!! I’ve hired an air tasker to come and collect my things … I might be doing a road trip to Perth with mates on Thursday night so should be flying back Sunday and will 100% have it out by then,” a message from Baird’s phone at 12.28pm on February 20 read.

Smith replied: “Hey Jesse, sorry I’m a bit confused. I thought you said you were moving out today 20th Feb. Your final rent payment ends tomorrow and [the new housemate] starts paying from Thursday.”

Smith texted King on February 20: “I’m genuinely scared this dude isn’t moving out today.”

The prosecution alleges Lamarre-Condon murdered Baird after developing an “obsessive and jealous infatuation” with him that escalated when Baird ended their casual relationship in November 2023.

Davies, Baird’s new boyfriend, was killed to eliminate a witness to the crime, the Crown alleges.

There is no dispute that Lamarre-Condon was at the terrace when Baird and Davies died, that they died of gunshot wounds from his police-issued pistol, and that he was disguised as a delivery rider.

However, the defence case is that Lamarre-Condon was there to pick up some of his belongings and did not expect anybody to be home. A struggle ensued in which his gun accidentally went off twice, killing Baird, and Davies accidentally shot himself in a second struggle after grabbing the gun, the defence says.

According to the defence, Lamarre-Condon panicked and dumped the men’s bodies in surfboard bags in Bungonia, near Goulburn.

The prosecution has told the jury that Lamarre-Condon cleaned the scene while the housemates were out, including throwing items from Baird’s bedroom into a skip bin in Cronulla.

The court has heard that police visited the home for the first time on February 21, after items were found in the skip bin by groundskeepers. Three cleaners were at the home at the time because they had been booked by King ahead of the arrival of the new housemate.

The trial continues.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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