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Thursday, November 28, 2024

Luke Davies not target in murders of Sydney couple: police

A police constable charged with the murders of a Sydney couple allegedly only planned to kill one of the men, with whom he had been in a brief relationship.

The bodies of Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, were found inside surfboard bags at the fence line of a rural property in Bungonia near Goulburn, about 200km southwest of the city, on Tuesday.

NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, 28, is in custody after being charged with killing the couple at Mr Baird’s home in Paddington in Sydney’s east on February 19.

Police will allege Mr Baird’s murder was premeditated and that Mr Davies was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“We will be strongly claiming in our case that this murder was premeditated and the second murder occurred because of, unfortunately, Luke’s presence at the house,” Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald told Nine News on Thursday.

The men were allegedly shot by Lamarre-Condon, a senior constable, with a police-issued firearm before their bodies were transported to the rural property.

Police also allege that two days before, the accused purchased a surfboard cover at a store at Miranda in Sydney’s south to carry Mr Baird’s body.

“Following the incidents and the murders, he went back and bought a further surfboard cover,” Mr Fitzgerald alleged.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has confirmed the accused was been served a notice for his dismissal from the force.

“I’ve actually today read a segment of his file and I have signed – and it has been served, he has been served today in custody – a show-cause notice for his dismissal,” Ms Webb told ABC 7.30 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, domestic violence rates within the LGBTQI community are being highlighted amid calls for further police training following the alleged murders.

Investigators allege the crimes followed a months-long campaign of “predatory behaviour” by the accused, culminating in the fatal shooting.

Peter Murphy, who took part in the first Mardi Gras march in 1978, said LGBTQI communities were not immune from domestic and family violence.

But many gay and lesbian people were hesitant to report it to police due to historical discrimination displayed by the force, he added.

“Personal relationships, whatever genders are involved, can have an ugly side,” Mr Murphy told AAP.

“I don’t think there’s enough training within the police on these matters and in the next few months I think we’ll see a fairly good effort from police, but it can fade off easily.

“If the police response to this is more of a public relations exercise, everyone will be disillusioned.”

NSW Greens MP Amanda Cohn said parts of the community don’t feel safe reporting threats or violence to police.

“The NSW Police continuing to investigate themselves cannot deliver the meaningful change that is needed, she said on Wednesday.

“Only an independent review of the institutional approach to policing can deliver the transparency and accountability the community needs to build trust.”

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