A former police officer in Australia’s New South Wales state pleaded not responsible to homicide Friday and instructed the courtroom prosecutors had rejected his provide to plead responsible to the lesser cost of manslaughter within the killings of his former boyfriend and the person’s companion.
Beau Lamarra-Condon is accused of utilizing his service pistol to kill his ex, Jesse Baird, a 26-year-old former tv reporter, and Luke Davies, a 29-year-old flight attendant, at Baird’s Sydney dwelling in February 2024.
Lamarra-Condon, 30 appeared within the New South Wales state Supreme Court docket by video hyperlink from jail. He started addressing the choose unprompted, saying he wished a variety of issues recorded within the courtroom transcript.
Lamarra-Condon stated he had supplied to plead responsible to Baird’s manslaughter throughout a decrease courtroom listening to, however prosecutors had refused the provide.
James Gourley / AP
He stated he deserved a reduction on any future sentence as a consequence of that early provide to plead responsible to the lesser cost. Homicide carries a most of life imprisonment, whereas manslaughter carries a possible sentence of 25 years.
Lamarra-Condon stated he would oppose any prosecution purposes to shut the courtroom to the general public throughout his trial or to suppress any proof from being revealed by media, saying he wished the general public to know the reality.
He additionally stated he wished the general public to know “the precise reality” and alleged “critical misconduct and corruption” by police investigators, claiming that prosecutors have been “partly complicit in” the corruption, the Australian Broadcasting Company reported.
“The reality will at all times prevail and I cannot be silenced,” Lamarra-Condon instructed the choose. Audio of the outburst was launched by the ABC.
Justice Peter Hamill stated that if negotiations had taken place in a decrease courtroom to downgrade the fees, there can be a document in Lamarra-Condon’s courtroom file.
Hamill set Lamarra-Condon’s jury trial to start on Sept. 21 subsequent yr.
Police alleged the killings adopted months of “predatory habits” from Lamarra-Condon focusing on Baird, who had jilted him.
Lamarre-Condon turned the primary serving New South Wales police officer charged with homicide in a number of a long time after he was accused of taking pictures the couple at Baird’s dwelling, in response to 9 Information. The our bodies have been bundled into surfboard baggage and dumped at a rural property 124 miles from Sydney.
Photograph by Matt King/AFL Photographs/Getty Pictures 
After the our bodies have been discovered, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was amongst those that supplied condolences to their household and pals, the BBC reported. “They clearly have been lively… that is only a horrible incident,” he stated, including that it was a “powerful day” for the LGBT group.
The violence led to requires cops to be banned from marching in final yr’s Sydney Homosexual and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, however a compromise allowed officers to march whereas not in uniform.
Handgun possession is very restricted in Australia. State police reviewed their gun dealing with procedures that allegedly enabled Lamarra-Condon to signal out a pistol whereas off responsibility.
He joined the drive in 2019 and had run a weblog the place he posted photographs of himself with celebrities, together with Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Harry Types, in response to 9 Information.
Mark Baker / AP 
