He was there the day the youngest,Luke – known to family and friends as “Lukie boy” – pushed too fast and too high to outdo his elder brothers over a jump,and carried the bruised little boy home to safety.
Luke Davies’ mother,Sandra,is hugged by a mourner after a memorial service.Dan Peled
But he wasn’t there the day Luke died. He could not have known what would happen that February morning,when a NSW Police officer allegedly shot Luke and his new boyfriend,Jesse Baird,at a Paddington terrace.
Amid the anger,shock and confusion since the alleged murder,John said he wasn’t there to be his brother’s protector. “I’m sorry on this uncontrollable occasion I wasn’t there for you,” he wrote to his little brother.
Two months after his death,Luke Davies,29,was farewelled on Saturday by his family and friends at an open-air memorial service in New Farm,an inner suburb of Brisbane,where Davies lived before he moved to Sydney.
Mourners wearing white gathered in front of the park’s historic rotunda,beneath sprawling poinciana trees. Bunches of sunflowers were arranged around Davies’ photograph.
Luke Davies and his partner,Jesse Baird,were allegedly murdered by an off-duty police officer in their Paddington home on February 19.Dan Peled
His mother,Sandra,wore sunflower earrings,and his sister-in-law,Krysten,wore a flower in her hair.
Before and during the service,photographs of Davies’ life flashed across screens. As a baby,his mother cradling him in her arms. As a boy,playing with his brothers. As a man,cuddling his niece.
Mourners watched videos of a pint-sized Davies dancing to Aqua’sBarbie Girl,fending off his brothers as he blew out the candle on his fifth birthday cake,and dancing toRock-a-Bye Your Bear by The Wiggles.
They watched montages of Davies’ travels as a flight attendant,the job that allowed him to fulfil his dream of adventure;they saw him in front of the Eiffel Tower,on the slopes of Whistler,dancing along a cobblestone street in Europe.
Davies’ mother did not speak. His eldest brother,John,who was unable to attend at the last minute,wrote a tribute,read by his uncle on his behalf. He told of his anger,sadness and confusion at his brother’s death.
Luke Davies’ brother,Brock,and mother,Sandra,among the mourners.Dan Peled
“If there is ever a time in my life that I needed my little brother for his strength,it would be now,” he said.
“He always shone with the brightest light and wore the biggest smile in any room he was in. Words will never be enough to express how much I love you,and how proud I am to be your big brother.
“Those tender years of us growing up as a family,taking care of each other,and the bonds we shared as the closest of brothers,will be my most precious memories.”
Davies’ sister-in-law,Krysten Davies,read a tribute from her husband,Davies’ brother,Brock,who remembered how his children adored their uncle “Nuke”,and how he was forever grateful his girls had spent that time with him.
“The love you showed my girls,the bond you shared … will hold a special place in my heart,” he wrote. “Fly high my little brother,fly high. I love you always.”
Davies’ former boyfriend,Nino Lalic,remembered his drive,his joie de vivre,and his kindness. He spoke about how Davies worked at Woolworths when COVID-19 shut down the airline industry,and kept getting promoted;how he had worked hard for everything he had.
The memorial was supposed to be a celebration of Davies’ life,but Lalic acknowledged the grief,too. “I am so sad,” Lalic said. “I miss him so much. The thought of not seeing you again is unimaginable. I love you Luke.”
Davies died on February 19. Police will allege he and Baird were killed by serving NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon,who was romantically interested in Baird and had been showing him unwanted attention.
Davies and Baird had met at a New Year’s Eve party at the end of 2023. Police believe Baird was Lamarre-Condon’s intended target,and Davies was killed because he happened to be with him.
Their bodies were found near Goulburn a week later.
Lamarre-Condon is on remand at Silverwater Prison. He will appear in court on Tuesday.
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