Beau Lamarre-Condon has denied being obsessed with his former lover from the onset of a relationship that culminated in the man's alleged execution-style killing.
The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies with his police-issue pistol at their inner-city Sydney terrace in February 2024.
He stepped into the witness box for a third day of questioning in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday, when he was quizzed about his relationship with Mr Baird.
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC began by asking about the first few months of their relationship between December 2022 to February 2023.
“Were you obsessed with him at this early stage of the relationship?" Mr Hatfield asked.
"No, I don't agree with obsessed. Smitten yes, obsessed no,” Lamarre-Condon replied.
In December 2022, when the pair first started dating, he texted a friend: "It sounds crazy. I love him."
He admitted being "in his head" with worry when Mr Baird took too long to respond to his messages but added that was natural and normal.
The 31-year-old said he regularly spoke to friends, workshopping messages to send to Mr Baird.
He also admitted to going through Mr Baird's phone during a farmstay vacation in March 2023 and unfollowing two to three people.
Lamarre-Condon accepted it was a breach of trust and privacy, but he said Mr Baird had exaggerated the number of people he unfollowed when discussing the incident with a friend.
"Everyone adds their own salt and pepper," he told the court.
Lamarre-Condon posted an edited video of the farmstay trip on Instagram.
He denied the clip was designed to give a false impression about the status of the pair's relationship at the time.
Lamarre-Condon said he initially thought about not posting the video but denied that was because of Mr Baird.
Instead, the former police officer said he sold his own swimwear line to single gay men and it would be "problematic" if he was seen to be in a couple.
Mr Baird and Mr Davies were fatally shot in their Paddington home on February 19, 2024.
Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon was obsessed with Mr Baird despite the couple breaking up in November 2023, staking out the other man's house for hours before entering the home to assassinate him.
The 31-year-old claims he disguised himself as an Uber Eats driver to retrieve his belongings from Mr Baird's home and has argued self-defence for the killings.
He says he accidentally shot Mr Baird during a tussle in the kitchen and that Mr Davies shot himself during a separate altercation as he tried to leave the home to flag down an ambulance.
The trial continues.
