Former NSW police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon insisted a close friend had misheard him after allegedly confessing to killing people, according to police recordings played before a Sydney court.

The covert audio captures conversations between the sacked senior constable and an associate in the frantic days following the deaths of former television presenter Jesse Baird and flight attendant Luke Davies in February.

ABC News NSW reported that during the recorded exchange, the friend directly confronted Lamarre-Condon about an earlier conversation in which the accused had purportedly blurted out that he had killed individuals. In response, Lamarre-Condon adamantly claimed the associate had misinterpreted his words, downplaying the remark as a catastrophic misunderstanding.

Wiretaps capture frantic telephone exchange

The audio, tendered as part of legal proceedings in Sydney, sheds further light on the critical window between the alleged double homicide and Lamarre-Condon handing himself into police.

In the recordings, the friend appeared deeply shaken, recounting how Lamarre-Condon had allegedly uttered the chilling admission during a previous encounter. However, the former officer sought to placate his confidant, insisting he had never said such a thing and suggesting the listener had jumped to conclusions under stress.

Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon fatally shot Mr Baird, 26, and Mr Davies, 29, using his police-issued Glock pistol inside Mr Baird's Brown Street terrace in inner-Sydney Paddington on 19 February.

Disappearance sparked statewide manhunt

The court heard that at the time the phone call was intercepted, homicide detectives were mounting an extensive search across eastern Sydney and regional NSW. Possessions belonging to both victims had been discovered discarded in a skip bin in Cronulla, triggering immediate alarm among family and investigators.

Lamarre-Condon, who had previously worked within the specialist youth command, became the prime suspect after police ballistics matched a cartridge case found at the Paddington property to his service firearm, which had been checked out from Miranda police station.

According to ABC News NSW, the recorded dialogue formed part of the prosecution brief tracing the accused's attempts to manage his relationships and deflect suspicion as the net closed around him.

Bodies discovered near Southern Tablelands

The grim search ended days later when police located the remains of Mr Baird and Mr Davies concealed in surfboard bags at a rural property near Bungonia, about two hours south of Sydney. Lamarre-Condon had eventually provided information leading detectives to the remote site after handing himself into Bondi police station.

The case prompted widespread shock across Sydney, particularly within the LGBTQI+ community, of which both victims were prominent members, and led to internal reviews regarding NSW Police procedures around access to off-duty weapons.

Legal proceedings move towards trial

Lamarre-Condon faces two counts of domestic violence-related murder alongside a break-and-enter charge.

The court continues to weigh the prosecution's brief of evidence, which relies on extensive digital footprints, mobile phone tracking, tollway records, and intercepted telephone calls. Lamarre-Condon remains remanded in custody as the matter progresses toward the NSW Supreme Court.