Lamarre-Condon trial told red liquid mistaken for rusted water - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Jesse Baird was moving out of the Paddington home before his death. (Supplied)

A Supreme Court jury has heard how Jesse Baird's housemate thought red liquid underneath two surfboard bags in their Paddington courtyard was rusted water.

The woman is giving evidence as former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon stands trial for Mr Baird and Luke Davies's alleged murder in 2024.

The court heard the woman received a text from Mr Baird after the shooting claiming he had gone on a road trip to Perth.

A former housemate of Jesse Baird saw two surfboard bags covered by a tarpaulin sitting in their courtyard on the day he and his boyfriend were allegedly murdered and thought a red liquid underneath was rusted water, a jury has heard.

Former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Baird and Luke Davies at Mr Baird's shared Paddington terrace, in Sydney's east, in February 2024.

The 31-year-old is accused of shooting the young couple with his service pistol before disposing of their bodies in surfboard bags. Through his lawyers, he has raised an argument of self defence.

The jury has heard Mr Baird was due to move out around the time because his two housemates wanted another friend to move in.

The Crown alleges Mr Baird and Mr Davies were shot in the home on the morning of February 19, 2024, after the housemates had left for work.

An image previously shown to the jury of the courtyard of the Paddington property. (Supplied: NSW Supeme Court)

One of those flatmates, who is known during the proceedings as Belinda Smith, recalled on Thursday that she came home about 5:30pm and noticed items in their backyard.

"I saw two surfboard bags, with a blue tarp over the top of them and red liquid," Ms Smith said.

She told the NSW Supreme Court she sent a photo of the items to her other housemate.

Crown Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC asked whether she had ever seen the items before, whether she had ever seen any surfboards at the home, and whether Mr Baird had ever spoken about surfing. She answered no to each question.

"In terms of the pool of red liquid, what did you think that was?" he asked.

Ms Smith said it was "at some point on Tuesday", the following day, that she noticed the surfboard bags had been cleared.

Jesse Baird (left) and Luke Davies both died inside the Paddington home in February 2024. (Instagram)

The Crown's case is that after the alleged murders, Mr Lamarre-Condon immediately cleaned the property and used two surfboard bags to store the men's bodies, wrapped in a tarpaulin.

He is alleged to have returned to the property later to move them with a hired vehicle.

The day after Ms Smith noticed the surfboards, she messaged her other housemate complaining that Mr Baird's belongings were not yet packed up and he did not appear to be moving as planned.

In a group chat, a message from Mr Baird's phone was sent telling the women he had "hired an Airtasker to come and collect my things" and had to get someone with a van to move his bed.

Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one of aggravated break and enter. (Supplied: Rocco Fazzari)

That message also said he may be doing a "road trip to Perth" but would be back at the end of that week.

The Crown has previously told jurors it is alleged Mr Lamarre-Condon used Mr Baird's phone after his death to give the impression he was still alive.

In the second week of the trial, jurors were shown dozens of crime scene photographs and heard evidence from Senior Sergeant Bronwyn Lansley, a specialist crime scene officer who examined the home.

The Crown alleges Mr Lamarre-Condon shot Mr Baird in the property after stalking him, following a brief romance which Mr Baird regarded as more casual. 

He is alleged to have shot Mr Davies through a bedroom door because he was a witness to Mr Baird's alleged murder.

The defence has flagged an argument of self defence, and said it was their client's case that two separate struggles involving the gun resulted in the two deaths.

In a defence opening, Mr Lamarre-Condon's lawyers said it would be their case that Mr Davies accidentally shot himself during the second struggle.

AFL branded clothing was found in a skip bin in Cronulla. (Supplied: NSW Supeme Court)

Under cross-examination by defence counsel John Stratton SC today, Senior Sergeant Lansley was asked about the results of a DNA analysis after the trigger of Mr Lamarre-Condon's pistol, along with other parts of the gun, was swabbed.

She confirmed there was a mixture of DNA from at least three individuals, and Mr Davies "could not be excluded as a major contributor to the mixture", and the accused "could not be excluded as the minor contributor to the mixture".

The skip bin where a number of items were found. (Supplied: NSW Supeme Court)

The jury has seen dozens of photographs of items that were found in a skip bin at a Cronulla bowls club, found by a grounds keeper days after the alleged murders.

They included bedding and clothing that were stained with blood, AFL goal umpire flags, unopened AFL branded clothing and personal possessions.

A watch and wallet containing identification and bank cards in the name of Mr Davies were also photographed.

A watch and wallet were found. (Supplied: NSW Supeme Court)

The grounds keeper notified police, who then attended Mr Baird's home and found three cleaners who had been organised because Mr Baird was moving out, the court has heard.

The men's bodies were ultimately found at a rural area at Bungonia, south of Sydney, in surfboard bags eight days after the alleged murders.

The trial, before Justice Natalie Adams, continues.