A friend of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has told a Sydney court she drank champagne while the double-murder accused methodically scrubbed the van allegedly used to transport two victims' bodies.

The revelatory testimony was delivered during court proceedings detailing the final movements of the 29-year-old former constable in the aftermath of the deaths of his former partner, television presenter Jesse Baird, and flight attendant Luke Davies.

Lamarre-Condon has entered formal pleas of not guilty to two counts of murder over the fatal February 2024 shootings in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Unannounced Arrival and a Cryptic Farewell

Guardian NSW politics reported that a close acquaintance took the stand to recount the unsettling encounter when Lamarre-Condon arrived unheralded at her residence. According to the evidence presented, the former officer presented an outwardly calm facade despite what the Crown contends was an active effort to conceal a major domestic crime.

The witness told the court that upon his arrival, Lamarre-Condon made an ominous remark, telling her he had "come to say goodbye". The friend explained that she had not understood the gravity or meaning of the phrase at the time, assuming it was related to his personal or career challenges rather than a major criminal investigation.

During his time at the property, Lamarre-Condon requested cleaning equipment, including a hose, rags and chemicals, before turning his attention directly to the rear cargo area of a hired white van parked outside.

Cleaning the Vehicle in Plain Sight

According to the witness account, the acquaintance consumed champagne on the premises while Lamarre-Condon spent considerable time scrubbing the interior floor and walls of the vehicle. Crown prosecutors maintain that this van had been utilised to transport the remains of Baird, 26, and Davies, 29, across the state.

The court heard the friend harboured no suspicion of wrongdoing during the interaction, assuming the cleaning was routine vehicle maintenance. It was only after police arrested Lamarre-Condon and traced the hired van that the significance of the afternoon became apparent.

The Crown alleges the accused shot the pair using his standard-issue NSW Police Glock service pistol at Baird’s terrace on Brown Street, Paddington, before embarking on an elaborate effort to cover his tracks and dispose of the remains.

Defence Enters Pleas of Not Guilty

Lamarre-Condon remains in custody and has continued to contest the charges, formally maintaining his not-guilty plea as the matter progresses through the legal system.

The committal proceedings have drawn significant public interest, stemming from both Lamarre-Condon’s former role within the NSW Police Force and the high-profile nature of the victims. Baird was a familiar face on national breakfast television, while Davies worked as an international flight attendant.

Critical Timeline Under Legal Scrutiny

Police initially launched an urgent missing-persons operation after bloodied clothing, credit cards and personal effects belonging to the pair were discovered in a commercial skip bin in the southern Sydney suburb of Cronulla.

The discovery prompted detectives to search Baird’s blood-spattered home, initiating a statewide manhunt. Several days later, Lamarre-Condon handed himself into Bondi police station, subsequently providing information that led investigators to a rural property near Bungonia, south of Goulburn, where the men’s remains were located in surfboard bags.

The court hearing continues, with the magistrate expected to hear further forensic and witness testimony.