Rowan Baxter’s sickening call to Mensline day before killing Hannah Clarke and her three children

Rowan Baxter called a men’s helpline on the day before he killed his entire family, denigrating his wife Hannah Clarke and claiming “I’m not the one with the problem”. READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT

A sickening phone call Rowan Baxter made to a men’s helpline the day before he killed his entire family has been played in court.

In it, an upbeat Baxter joking and laughing with the Mensline 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.

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He explains he didn’t think that as a 42-year-old he’d have to change “but apparently I have to because it’s going to help me out apparently”.

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

Rowan Baxter called a men’s helpline the day before he killed his entire family.

“And, um, it’s a bit of, um, to be honest it’s a bit of, uh, it’s almost like a game to put her in a better position for Family Court. And unfortunately, um, I’ve been roped into it, and now this DVO, temporary one’s hanging over my head,” he says.

“Well, I just think it’s going to put me in a better position, he said, if I, you know because she, um, um, she’s trying to do, throw all sorts of things at me to breach it, and to do this and do that, and it’s just, it’s getting to the stage where, um, mate, I just about need to wear a spy cam on me 24/7 because I just can’t trust her.”

Baxter asks the operator if taking the course means that he is guilty and is assured it is not an admission of guilt.

“I sort of understand it, but I don’t, because I, um, I felt as though I’m not the one that has the problem, but I guess, um, I’m just doing what I’m told,” Baxter says.

He tells the operator he is 42 and the pair chat about Baxter’s New Zealand upbringing and how he moved to Australia when he was about 28.

He explains how he met a “lovely lady”, being Hannah, and they had some children and “unfortunately it’s gone sour in the last few months”.

“I’ve been put through the ringer in the last two months….,” he says.

He explains that they ran a gym together and had three children aged 6, 4 and 3, and claims their relationship deteriorated because Hannah started to have feelings for another member at the gym “behind my back”.

The inquest has previously heard there is absolutely no evidence of that and Baxter repeatedly accused her of cheating and blamed infidelity in a previous relationship for his jealousy.

“I’m 42 I shouldn’t have to ask for my kids,” he said.

“It’s got to the stage she was dictating to me when I could have them.”

Hannah Clarke and her children Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey.

Baxter says Hannah, whose age he can’t remember, guessing 30 and 32, “became very immature”.

He paints a flattering picture of his abduction of Laianah, claiming the little girl had wanted to go with him and that “the mother kicked up a stink”.

“It’s gone worse and worse and worse,” he said.

“I can’t even tell you. So much of my life has been turned around in five minutes, it’s just scary.”

“I never ever ever thought my wife was capable of doing anything like this.”

Hannah Clarke and her son Trey.

The man on the phone provided Baxter with the phone numbers of two support services that offered courses in anger management and behavioural change.

The inquest heard Baxter called one of the services at 4.41pm on February 18 but the lines were all busy.

The service had a 24-hour callback service and Baxter’s call was returned the next day at 12.01pm.

The car in which Hannah Clarke and her children were murdered.

But by then, Baxter was already dead, his children had been murdered and Hannah was fighting for her life. She would die later that day.

“The one in Logan is open until 5pm,” the call taker said.

“Fantastic, thanks,” Baxter replied.

The inquest heard later that night, Baxter FaceTimed with his children “and all he did was sob”.