Chilling footage shows Hannah Clarke’s killer shopping for murder tools at Bunnings

Chilling footage of Rowan Baxter perusing the aisles of a Brisbane Bunnings store looking for the tools he would need to murder his wife and children has been played in court.

Chilling footage of Rowan Baxter perusing the aisles of the Mansfield Bunnings store looking for the tools he would need to murder his wife and children has been played in court.

Clad in a singlet and shorts, Baxter could be seen walking slowly down the mowing aisle looking at different jerry cans, picking one up before deciding on a 5L green plastic container.

The footage showed Baxter approach the checkout with the fuel can, plastic zip ties and a container of surface cleaner.

The shopping trip took place at 6pm on February 17 – two days before he murdered Hannah, Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3.

Baxter was seen in security footage the following morning visiting the Caltex service station at Carindale where he purchased 4.6L of fuel and, shockingly, lollies, including three Kinder Surprises – presumably for his children.

The inquest also heard a recording of a phone call Baxter made to a men’s helpline the afternoon of February 18, the day before he killed his family.

In the recording, an upbeat Baxter, joking and laughing with the operator, says he is calling looking for access to a men’s behavioural change program, saying he is only doing it to help himself in court. “It’s not my idea but apparently I have to do it,” Baxter says.

He explains that he did not think that as a 42-year-old he would have to work on his behaviour, “but apparently I have to because it’s going to help me out apparently”.

Baxter then proceeds to blame Hannah for the situation, saying “my wife put a DVO on me”.