In a rare public appearance that drew fresh attention to one of Australia’s most high-profile pending murder cases, 63-year-old Coleen Lamarre appeared before Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Friday, marking her first court attendance since being released on bail last month over allegations she tampered with a witness in her son’s upcoming double murder trial.
Lamarre, a former officer with the New South Wales Police Force, is the mother of Beau Lamarre-Condon, a disgraced ex-cop accused of murdering 26-year-old Jesse Baird, a popular television presenter for Network 10, and Baird’s partner Luke Davies, a 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant, in an alleged double homicide earlier this year. Lamarre-Condon has been formally charged with two counts of murder and is currently awaiting his trial before the New South Wales Supreme Court, which is scheduled to commence before the end of 2024.
Coleen Lamarre was taken into custody on remand in April after being arrested on a single charge of performing an act intended to pervert the course of justice, related to allegations she attempted to pressure a key witness in her son’s prosecution. She was granted bail and released from Sydney’s Dillwynia Correctional Centre on July 7, and Friday’s hearing was her first public court appearance following her release.
During the hearing, Lamarre’s defense counsel John Walford requested an eight-week extension of his client’s current bail conditions from Judge Greg Grogin. The request was granted by the court, and Lamarre’s next scheduled court appearance has been set for September 11. Authorities have emphasized that Coleen Lamarre is not facing any charges connected to the deaths of Baird and Davies, and is only accused of interfering with the judicial process ahead of her son’s trial.
The case has captured widespread public attention across Australia due to the high-profile backgrounds of both the alleged victims and the accused, who was a serving police officer at the time of his arrest. This ongoing coverage will be updated as additional details of the case and upcoming legal proceedings emerge.