Friday 1 July 2022 12:42 AM Hannah Clarke inquest: Coroner shocked by chilling acts of 'master of ... trends now
A Queensland coroner has been left shocked by the clinical and calculating tactics of Hannah Clarke's killer husband, who she described as 'a master of manipulation'.
Deputy State coroner Jane Bentley was visibly emotional as she finished handing down her findings following a nine-day hearing in March.
She said the man who brutally set alight his ex-wife and their children, Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, was not mentally ill but extremely manipulative.
Ms Bentley said when Rowan Baxter realised his ex-wife would not give in to his demands for custody, he began to rally support from friends and professionals.
She said he began to build his case as the wronged ex-husband who was being abused by his former partner by being denied access to his three children.
'He received funds and support from a number of friends and family members, who believed his lies that Hannah was treating him badly and that he was being victimised by her,' Coroner Bentley said in her findings.
'He would make himself out to be the victim and tell the Clarkes that Hannah had mental problems and she was the cause of issues.'
Ms Clarke and her three young children (pictured) were murdered by Baxter after he ambushed their morning school run on February 19, 2020
Baxter murdered Ms Clarke and her three young children after he ambushed their morning school run on February 19, 2020.
He splashed fuel inside the car and set it alight, before stabbing himself through the heart with a knife, in what the coroner described as a 'final act of cowardice'.
The children's bodies were found in the vehicle, while Ms Clarke, 31, died the same day in hospital after suffering burns to 97 per cent of her body.
Just weeks before the incident, the pair had been involved in a fierce custody battle over their three children.
A domestic violence order was put in place in January 2020 after Baxter abducted his youngest daughter while spending time with the children on Boxing Day 2019.
Hannah Clarke's parents, Lloyd and Sue, said the Coroner's finding were a good outcome
Rowan Baxter buys flammable liquid from a hardware store before committing his evil crime
The inquest heard Baxter had bundled a 'bawling' Laianah into his car and driven across the border to northern NSW where he remained for several days.
Distressing bodycam footage has revealed the moment the desperate mother flagged down Queensland Police officers and reported the incident.
'He's decided that because I said to him "you need to wait before we can get this sorted, you're not having them stay with you because you won't return them,' Ms Clarke is heard telling police.
'The other two are absolutely besides themselves. She was bawling.'
Ms Clarke had refused to allow the children to stay with their father overnight before a protection order was put in place, which had enraged the 42-year-old.
'He took her to the house of his friend in New South Wales,' Ms Bentley said.
'The friend sent Hannah a text message stating this was her fault and she shouldn’t keep the children.'
It took Queensland police three days to get the four-year-old back to her mother with officers later knocking on Baxter's door to serve him a police protection order.
He conceded
