A friend of former Sydney police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has told the Supreme Court trial that Mr Lamarre-Condon said he had shot two people. The witness said the accused asked him to help clean up a mess and later said he did not realise bodies would be heavy. Mr Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies and is arguing self-defence. The Crown alleges he killed Mr Baird after an obsessive infatuation. The trial is in its fifth week.
A friend of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has told a jury that he fired his police gun in a national park weeks before the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. The witness says Mr Lamarre-Condon asked whether the shots could be heard from a house, and that he fired with a paper bag over the barrel. Mr Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to murder and is arguing self-defence in the NSW Supreme Court. The couple were allegedly killed at Mr Davies's Paddington home on February 19, 2024.
A friend of police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has told the New South Wales supreme court that he allegedly confessed to killing two men. The friend said Lamarre-Condon described the shootings as an out-of-body experience, then tried to pass it off as a joke. Lamarre-Condon, 31, is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird and Luke Davies with his police service weapon in Baird's Paddington home in February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. The defence claims the men were shot accidentally in self-defence.
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Newly released CCTV has been shown to a jury in the murder trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon. He is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at Baird's Paddington home in February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty. The footage captures him at a drive-thru in a van allegedly used to dispose of the bodies, along with purchases at hardware stores. The defence claims the men were accidentally shot in self-defence. The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.
Prosecutors have released nearly five hours of CCTV footage from the NSW Supreme Court trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February 2024. The footage allegedly shows him buying supplies at Bunnings stores and using several vehicles in the days after the deaths. A witness, Elizabeth Kennedy, told the jury she travelled with him to a property near Goulburn, where she said he asked her to help with garbage bags over number plates. Mr Lamarre-Condon is arguing self-defence, and the trial continues on Friday.
A friend of Beau Lamarre-Condon has told the NSW Supreme Court that he played a Taylor Swift song while driving to Bungonia with her. Lamarre-Condon, a police officer, is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in Baird's Paddington home in February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one of aggravated break and enter. The witness said Lamarre-Condon bought an angle grinder at Bunnings, cut a padlock at a farm and later went to a dam alone. The defence claims the shootings were accidental and that he acted in self-defence.
The federal government will go ahead with the planned sale of Sydney's Victoria Barracks, a convict-era army site, despite a high-profile campaign against it. Some 67 military properties are being sold to raise funds. Personnel and their families based at the barracks will be moved to other defence sites by the end of the year. A rally outside the barracks on Sunday is expected to draw thousands. Former prime minister John Howard plans to speak at it, while NSW Premier Chris Minns has backed listing the site on the state's Heritage Council register.
A witness has told a Sydney Supreme Court jury about a drive with Beau Lamarre-Condon, who is on trial over the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February 2024. The witness, known as Elizabeth Kennedy, said he asked her to pay for an angle grinder and to cover number plates, and that he told her, I don't want to involve you. The accused has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers will argue self-defence. The Crown alleges he tried to sink the bodies in a dam at Bungonia, where they were later found.
Most intercontinental internet traffic travels through fibre-optic cables laid on the ocean floor, not through satellites. Cables are most often damaged by fishing activity and ship anchors, and also by earthquakes and underwater landslides. Repairs require specialist vessels that locate the fault, cut out the damaged section, splice in new cable and return it to the seabed. Major technology companies, including Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, have invested in new cable systems. Australia relies on these links for overseas markets and cloud services.
Cairns artist iefje Boissevain is showing her first Brisbane solo exhibition at La Trobe Artspace in Paddington. The show, titled Colour Has Consequences, features new works made over almost a year. Boissevain builds her abstract paintings from layers of texture, mixed media and colour, finished with several coats of high-gloss resin. Much of the work uses saturated corals and lagoon blues. The official opening night is Wednesday, October 21, from 5pm, and the exhibition runs until October 25.
A witness has told the NSW Supreme Court that former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon said he had broken into Jesse Baird's Sydney home twice. The witness said he tracked Mr Baird's location through Snapchat and photographed him through a bedroom window. Mr Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Baird and Luke Davies in Paddington in February 2024. The defence says the men died during separate struggles involving the pistol, and the Crown alleges both were shot.
A Sydney court has been told that Beau Lamarre-Condon underwent surgery in the middle of an alleged attempt to dispose of two bodies. Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. He is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in Baird's Paddington home on 19 February 2024. The surgery took place at St Vincent's hospital on 21 February, two days after the alleged killings. CCTV shown in court captured him at hardware stores buying cleaning supplies and a tarpaulin.
A friend of accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon has told a New South Wales Supreme Court jury that he sent her photos of his ex, Jesse Baird, with another man. The former police officer has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Baird and flight attendant Luke Davies, who were shot in Mr Baird's Paddington home in February 2024. The witness, known as Elizabeth Kennedy, said he described breaking into Mr Baird's house in August 2023 to steal his phone and wallet.
A friend of Beau Lamarre-Condon has told a New South Wales Supreme Court jury that he appeared excited after allegedly breaking into the home of TV presenter Jesse Baird while Baird slept. Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murders of Baird and Luke Davies and is arguing self-defence. The friend, a witness known as Elizabeth Kennedy, said he allegedly described having a key cut and taking Baird's phone. Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon's account of the bodies is a lie. The trial continues.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
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An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
A whale calf carcass has washed ashore at Malabar Beach in Sydney, the third landing spot for the same animal. Randwick Council workers moved the remains up the sand, roped off the area and closed the beach on Tuesday. Council said strong currents moved the carcass from Lurline Bay and that it will be removed and disposed of on Tuesday 27 October. Earlier, Coogee and Maroubra beaches were shut after the carcass became stuck against rocks at Lurline Bay.
The NSW Government has committed $6.8 billion to electrify the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Bomaderry and to double tracks at key bottlenecks. Construction is expected to be complete by the mid-to-late 2030s, with detailed planning starting in 2027. The announcement follows the government scrapping timetable changes that were due to take effect in November after community concerns. Premier Chris Minns said the upgrade would deliver faster, more reliable trains. An immediate $621 million will fund upgrades to power, signalling and flood protection ahead of the main works.
Police are searching for a man in a balaclava after a suspected arson attack on a house in Abbotsford, in Sydney's inner west. Four people were taken to hospital. An 88-year-old woman was rescued by a 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder. A neighbour confronted the man while he was allegedly setting the house alight. Police believe he fled in a red Holden Astra and had suffered burns. About 40 firefighters attended the blaze, which spread to an adjoining house.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been hired as a professor of practice at the University of Sydney. The 46-year-old joins the faculty of medicine and health, where the role will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern will explore ways to address global health challenges, inclusion and wellbeing, and will lead guest lectures and masterclasses. The university says the position is not a full-time teaching role. Ardern and her family moved to Australia in February, reportedly buying a $5.3 million home on Sydney's northern beaches.
Will Lee has served 56 years with the NSW Rural Fire Service, which he began after helping fight a major fire in the northern Illawarra in 1968. He joined the Austinmer Bushfire Brigade in 1970 and went on to hold several leadership roles, including Group Captain. He was recognised with a National Medal with a fourth clasp at a recent ceremony, where his daughter Belinda Lee also received a 40-year Long Service Medal. Will now focuses on training young firefighters. He says the job of an old firefighter is to teach young firefighters to become old firefighters.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern will lecture and mentor at the University of Sydney, beginning this month. Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Based in the school of public health, she will host guest lectures and masterclasses, although the university says it is not a full-time teaching role. Vice-chancellor Mark Scott praised Ardern's leadership, saying empathy and resolve can strengthen each other. Ardern moved to Australia earlier this year.
Local Government NSW is calling for a $5 billion interest-free loan scheme to help councils build roads, drainage and other infrastructure needed for housing. Councils would repay the loans through developer contributions as development progresses. The peak body says thousands of homes are being delayed by inadequate infrastructure, particularly in outer metropolitan Sydney and regional areas. LGNSW president Darcy Byrne urged all political parties to back the proposal ahead of the state election. The plan also includes $3 billion in upfront state and regional infrastructure funding and allows developer contributions to fund community facilities.
The Rotary Club of West Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook is running its Trees of Joy campaign again this year, aiming to deliver more than 1,000 Christmas gifts. Shoppers choose a gift from a bauble bearing a person's story and wish, then return it to a drop-off point. The club works with more than 10 local charities to reach children and adults who may otherwise go without. Trees are at four shopping centres in Cherrybrook, Westleigh, Pennant Hills and Thornleigh from 2 November until 10 December. Rotary asks people to return gifts early to ease distribution.
