Hannah Clarke inquest: Witness tells of Hannah’s screams as Baxter kidnapped daughter from a park

A detective sergeant has told the inquest into the deaths of Hannah Clarke and her three children how Rowan Baxter’s earlier kidnap of their daughter Laianah was “disgusting, inappropriate and his only way to cause harm” to Hannah, but it wasn’t a crime.

A woman who witnessed Rowan Baxter abduct his four-year-old daughter Laianah during a visit to a park, fleeing with her to New South Wales, has given evidence on the fifth day of the inquest into the murders of Hannah Clarke and her children.

The inquest is examining the circumstances that led to the horrific domestic violence murders of Hannah and her children, Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4 and Trey, 3 on February 19, 2020.

Hannah and the children were killed after she was ambushed by her estranged husband, Rowan Baxter, after he ambushed her by jumping into her car as she drove the children to school.

He doused them with petrol from a jerry can and set them alight before stabbing himself in the abdomen, piercing his heart.

Rowan Baxter despicable actions are once again under the microscope at the inquest into the deaths of Hannah Clarke and her children.

Dr Julie Ann Humphries, a cardiologist, was riding her bike past a park in Bulimba on December 26, 2019, when she noticed a woman and her two children screaming and crying.

“I saw a woman with two children who were very distressed,” she said.

“The children were crying and screaming out ‘no stop’.”

She said she saw a man walking quickly towards his car carrying a small girl.

“The woman was still screaming out to him to stop and he entered the car … unfortunately he bumped her head on the way into the car.”

Dr Humphries said the man’s behaviour was “not at all fatherly” and that he’d put the little girl into the front seat of the car without putting on her seatbelt.

He then sped off.

“Didn’t secure her in the car … just put her in the car and drove off,” she said.

“A loving father who cared for his child wouldn’t behave that way.”

Dr Humphries said she rode on and spotted two police officers returning to their car.

She said she stopped to tell them what she’d seen.

KIDNAP WAS ‘DISGUSTING BUT NOT A CRIME’

Detective Sergeant Derek Harris From Morningside Child Protection Investigation Unit told the inquest Baxter’s abduction of Laianah was “disgusting” but was not a crime.

“There’s no family law court order, there was no child protection orders in place to stop Rowan legally having access to that child,” the detective said.

“What he did was disgusting and inappropriate … it was his only way to cause harm to (Hannah).

“But unfortunately it was not something that an investigator could progress.

“It wasn’t a crime.”

He said by the time he reviewed the matter, police had located Laianah and returned her to her mother.

Hannah Clarke with her children (L-R) Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey.

He said police had put a police protection notice in place and a domestic violence order had been taken out.

“Unfortunately it’s very black and white,” Det Sgt Harris said.

“My role as a detective is to investigate crimes against children … it has to be very clear cut to be honest.”

The detective said the incident could only be considered a custody dispute and he concluded his investigation by referring the matter to the Department of Child Safety.

“I don’t condone it,” he said.

“It was not appropriate. It was done to … cause emotional distress. It was disgusting.”