New details emerge in tragic deaths of Hannah Clarke and her children
Content warning: This article contains distressing details relating to an act of domestic violence which may disturb some readers.
New details surrounding the murder of Hannah Clarke and her children have emerged during an pre-inquest hearing investigating whether their deaths could have been prevented.
Hannah Clarke and her three children - Aaliyah, six; Laianah, four; and Trey, three - were doused in petrol and burned alive by estranged husband Rowan Baxter in Brisbane in early 2020.
“The purpose of this inquest is not to identify the deceased, the cause nor the place of their deaths, or even the perpetrator who took their lives,” Jacoba Brasch QC, the counsel assisting the coroner, told the court on Tuesday.
“The evidence on these matters is abundant and, tragically, painfully clear. This inquest must look backwards, at the warning signs which were missed or, it identified, whether appropriate actions were taken at the time to address those risks.”
Hannah Clarke with her children Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey. Image: @smallsteps4hannah (Instagram)
The court heard that just before 8.30 am on February 19, Clarke left her parents’ home with her children and was intercepted by Baxter, when he climbed into the passenger’s seat armed with a knife and a can of petrol.
“Hannah screamed at Baxter to get out of the car. Her screams were desperate and fearful - we know this because a worried neighbour recorded them,” Brasch said.
Baxter then ordered Clarke to drive while he poured petrol over her and through the cabin of the car.
After driving for just 200 metres, she pulled into a driveway where a man was washing his car and begged him to call the police.
Then the car exploded.
“The explosion was so loud, it rattled windows across the street and some thought they heard a gas explosion,” the hearing was told.
Though Clarke was able to free herself from the car, she was completely engulfed in flames.
Her injuries were so severe they couldn’t be treated, and she died from them later that afternoon.
Baxter was also badly burnt, but able to grab his knife from the burning car and impale himself, puncturing his heart and killing himself.
Hannah Clarke with her children Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey. Image: @smallsteps4hannah (Instagram)
The court heard that just before 8.30 am on February 19, Clarke left her parents’ home with her children and was intercepted by Baxter, when he climbed into the passenger’s seat armed with a knife and a can of petrol.
“Hannah screamed at Baxter to get out of the car. Her screams were desperate and fearful - we know this because a worried neighbour recorded them,” Brasch said.
Baxter then ordered Clarke to drive while he poured petrol over her and through the cabin of the car.
After driving for just 200 metres, she pulled into a driveway where a man was washing his car and begged him to call the police.
Then the car exploded.
“The explosion was so loud, it rattled windows across the street and some thought they heard a gas explosion,” the hearing was told.
Though Clarke was able to free herself from the car, she was completely engulfed in flames.
Her injuries were so severe they couldn’t be treated, and she died from them later that afternoon.
Baxter was also badly burnt, but able to grab his knife from the burning car and impale himself, puncturing his heart and killing himself.
Hannah Clarke’s parents, Sue and Lloyd, at her funeral. Image: 7News
Brasch described the murders of Clarke and her children as acts of “unimaginable cruelty”, but said the hearings were needed to determine if their lives could have been saved.
Speaking outside court, Clarke’s parents, Lloyd and Sue Clarke, said they hoped the hearings would bring some kind of closure.
“It will be good to have it finally over and hopefully it will fill in a few missing pieces for us,” Sue Clarke said.
“If we can save just one more life through things that are found out, that would be great.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). In an emergency, call 000.
Image: Jono Searle (Getty Images) / @smallsteps4hannah (Instagram)