Hannah Clarke terrorised and stalked by her killer Rowan Baxter

Rowan Baxter’s former friends have detailed how the killer terrorised Hannah Clarke, and even plotted to kidnap and murder another ex-partner.

Rowan Baxter stalked and terrorised Hannah Clarke after she walked away from their abusive marriage, asking friends to spy on her, attempting to have her fired and even planting a recording device in her home.

Former friends of the killer have detailed the “selfish” and “manipulative” Baxter’s single-minded obsession with the couple’s break-up, including how he gave a “big sob story” to a business owner near her gym in an attempt to watch her coming and going on their CCTV.

They also detailed how he once plotted to kidnap and murder another ex-partner.

The third day of the inquest into the murders of Hannah and her children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4 and Trey, 3, heard how she left Baxter in late 2019 after suffering years of controlling behaviour, in which he told her what to wear, who she could speak to and forced her to have sex every day.

Hannah Clarke and her son Trey.

The inquest heard Hannah was so afraid her estranged husband would kill her that she asked friends to help her prepare a Will.

Soon after, he killed her and the children in a cowardly attack at Camp Hill in February, 2020.

Christopher Ensbey, a pastor at the Carindale Citipointe Church, told the inquest he met Hannah and Baxter after joining the gym they owned.

He described them as “competitive people, full of life, full of fun”.

He said Baxter reached out to him in November 2019, months after he had left the gym, and revealed he “wasn’t doing well” because his relationship with Hannah was in trouble.

“He only wanted to change what needed to be changed in order to keep his marriage the way it was,” Mr Ensbey said.

“Looking back I would not say he was remorseful genuinely for his actions and control, I’d say he was remorseful for the fact he’s lost his home life.”

Christopher Ensbey leaves the inquest into the deaths of Hannah Clarke and her children. Picture: Dan Peled

Brad Clark gave evidence he first met Baxter in New Zealand in 2003 when they played on the same rugby teams. They reconnected years later when they were both living in Brisbane.

He employed Hannah at his Athletes Foot store and said when she left Baxter, he began calling Mr Clark urging him to sack her, saying things like: “you’re my mate how come she’s still working for you”.

Mr Clark said Baxter was a person who took advantage of others, burnt a lot of bridges, would push until he got the answer he wanted and was highly critical and jealous of others.

Mr Clark said on New Year’s Eve 2019, amid his break-up with Hannah, Baxter told him he needed to go see a psychologist but could not get an appointment until he paid a previous invoice.

“I said mate I’ll pay it right now you need to go and see someone,” he said.

Hannah Clarke’s parents, Sue and Lloyd Clarke. Picture: Dan Peled

Counsel assisting the coroner, Dr Jacoba Brasch, told the inquest a friend of Baxter’s, Eoin Coffey, had provided a statement about Baxter leaving a hidden recording device at Hannah’s home.

“Baxter left a tape recording device, an old iPad, recording,” Dr Brasch said.

“He then overheard Hannah talking to her mother, where they called him a narcissist and other derogatory names.”

Lewis Bartlett managed the Athlete’s Foot store where Hannah began working in about 2009. They became friends and she later opened up to him about her troubles at home.

“I was shocked at the time because on the surface they looked like a happy couple,” he said.

Hannah Clarke and her daughters Aaliyah and Laianah.

He said he heard her tell a colleague that Baxter would not let her wear shorts in public.

He revealed Baxter would regularly check up on Hannah at work and that she provided him with a new phone number and email address because she was convinced Baxter was accessing her emails and listening to her calls.

“She was convinced that Rowan had either tapped her phone or was listening to her phone conversations,” Mr Bartlett said.

One of the last times Mr Bartlett saw Hannah, in the beginning of February, she asked for him to call store security if Baxter came in because he had previously stalked her around the centre.

Rowan Baxter.

Martin Coll met Baxter and Hannah in about 2014 and told the court Baxter was “very self-absorbed and selfish” and a “narcissist”.

Mr Coll revealed Baxter once confided in him that when his relationship with a woman in New Zealand ended, Baxter had considered abducting the woman at gunpoint.

“He had rope in his car and was going to take them out somewhere and end it all, including himself, but for whatever reason he didn’t go through with it,” Mr Coll said.

He said he encouraged Baxter to seek professional help and when he claimed he couldn’t afford it, Mr Coll offered to pay for him.

Mr Coll said he was also forced to refuse requests from Baxter to “back” him in court with allegations against Hannah, and that he asked him to go spy on her at the gym.

The inquest continues.