Brisbane car fire: Rowan Baxter ‘abducted daughter’ amid custody battle with estranged wife Hannah
Rowan Baxter, who killed his wife and three kids by setting them on fire, reportedly fled interstate with one of his daughters on Boxing Day.
The brother of Hannah Clarke, who was killed by her estranged husband in a horrific early morning attack on Wednesday, has described how her family battled to help free her from the clutches of her abusive partner.
It has emerged an act of domestic violence had put Rowan Baxter’s family on the radar of Queensland’s child safety department.
And it has been reported by the Daily Mail that he kidnapped one of his daughters on Boxing Day last year and fled interstate, but this was not reported to the department.
Ms Clarke’s three young children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, were also killed when their father Rowan Baxter set them alight while they sat in the back of the family car.
Her brother, Nat Clarke, has paid an emotional tribute to the mother and fitness trainer and provided an insight into the violent partner from whom she was trying to escape.
“Yesterday … I had my sister, nephew and two nieces taken from me in the worst way possible by a heartless monster they called (their) dad, former NRL player Rowan Baxter,” Mr Clarke wrote on Facebook.
Mr Clarke described his brother-in-law as a “monster” and a “disgraceful excuse of a human being” and told of how his parents, Lloyd and Suzanne Clarke, with whom Hannah had lived since December, had tried to help her get away from her partner.
“My sister Hannah Clarke/Baxter always tried her best to bring joy to all those around her and only ever wanted the best for her kids,” Mr Clarke wrote.
“This was all from a great up bringing from my loving mother and father Suzanne Clarke and Lloyd Clarke, they too always do (their) best to help out others in need and have exhausted all there energy and money into trying to help my sister and her kid(s) escape this monster.”
Hannah separated from her husband in December, sparking a custody battle.
Baxter remained living in their former family home until he died on Wednesday from a self-inflicted stab wound shortly after he set his wife and children on fire.
It is believed he waited near his in-laws’ home until Hannah emerged with the children for the morning school run.
He doused the vehicle in petrol, which he had carried with him, and jumped into the passenger seat.
The vehicle was driven a short way before it became engulfed in flames.
Mr Clarke had described how his sister was preparing to move on with her life and excited for what lay ahead.
“The last thing my sister said to my wife was ‘I’m so excited this year will be great’,” he wrote.
“I’m so (grateful) she and I got to reconnect and become such close friends before this tragedy I will forever love you all.”
Mr Clarke’s wife, Stacey Roberts, has started a fundraiser to raise money for Hannah’s parents to cover funeral expenses for their daughter and grandchildren.
“My wife has started this page to help out my family try and get through what I can only imagine will be the worst couple of weeks of our lives, so please if you can help my family in anyway please donate even the smallest amount and share this post because woman and children should never have to suffer what they had to,” Mr Clarke wrote.
“Everyone who has been lucky enough to be a part of (their) lives would know just how sweet and loving these kids and my sister really were.
“No words can explain the hurt and suffering he has caused. My family has been torn apart as I am sure a lot of people who knew these amazing kids and my beautiful sister are.”
Domestic violence reported
The act of domestic violence reported about Rowan Baxter is understood to be the sole known incident on the family’s file with the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women.
But according to Hannah Baxter’s family members, it was not a lone act of violence from her estranged husband, who she left in November due to ongoing abuse.
Under Queensland law, police have a requirement to report incidents of domestic violence – not only of a physical nature – to the department when children are involved.
It is believed Baxter assaulted his wife while picking up or dropping off their children on an arranged visit in recent months, triggering a police report that the department was notified of.
It is understood the department was not aware of an incident on Boxing Day in which Baxter was said to have kidnapped one of his daughters and driven her interstate.
Ms Clarke’s mother Suzanne Clarke told The Daily Mail his granddaughter had only been returned home to her mother after police intervened.
“He kidnapped (one of the kids) on Boxing Day and took her interstate for four days until the police got her back,” Mrs Clarke told the publication.
“He stayed with a mate who was an absolute animal and sent Hannah a disgusting email blaming her for everything.”
Hannah’s parents also described how their daughter’s estranged husband had “gone through her phone” and tracked her whereabouts in the lead-up to Wednesday’s attack.
Because the children were known to the Department of Child Safety, their deaths will prompt an automatic internal and external reviews.
‘Bright, stars’
Counsellors have been brought into the primary school where two of the three children murdered by their father were students, as parents told of their grief at losing “bright, bright stars”.
The education department said support was being provided to members of the Belmont State School community left devastated by the deaths of six-year-old Aaliyah, in Year 2, four-year-old Laianah, who was in prep, their brother, Trey, and mother, Hannah Clarke.
All four were killed by their father, former NZ Warriors NRL player Rowan Baxter, who doused their car with petrol and set it alight before fatally stabbing himself in the chest.
Ms Clarke has been described by a Belmont mother, Kellianne Jones, as the “epitome of positivity and happiness” when she was at the school.
“Our girls started school together,” Ms Jones told The Australian.
“We saw each other every morning at school drop off, even though our girls were in different classes.
“I had no idea what was going on for her and her husband – none. Because she always looked so happy and bright. Her smile was contagious.
“No matter how crap my day was, Hannah could turn any day right way up.
“She was absolutely my favourite part of school drop off.
“The world has lost very bright, bright stars.”
An education department spokesman said a team of guidance officers were supporting children and parents, and a team of counsellor clinicians were providing counselling to staff as required.
Principal Lisa Morrison has sent a letter to parents, saying the school community was “deeply shocked and saddened by the death of two of our students”.
“The school community’s thoughts and sincere sympathies go out to the family, caregivers, friends and loved ones of the students in this difficult time,” Ms Morrison wrote.
“Support is being provided to students and staff who require it, and counsellors will remain on hand to provide support to the school in any way they can and for as long as it is needed.”
The Baxters lived a short distance from the school at Carindale in Brisbane’s east. Ms Clarke left the home with her children last year and moved in with her parents.
Claims are emerging of violence in the relationship prior to the murders on Wednesday morning, when Baxter set his family on fire in their car in Raven Street, Camp Hill.
‘Perfect’ image shattered
What seemed online like the image of a perfect family began to unravel three months ago and was finally shattered in a horrific act of violence on a suburban Brisbane street.
The children were on their way to school with their mother in their family car when they were ambushed by their father.
Their white SUV was doused with petrol and set alight by Baxter, 42, a former NZ Warriors NRL player, who died on the footpath after jumping in the passenger seat and stabbing himself.
His children were trapped in the car as it was engulfed in flames, while their mother escaped from the driver’s seat of the burning vehicle and rolled on the ground on fire.
Stunned residents who went to Ms Clarke’s aid in Raven Street, Camp Hill, 6km southeast of the CBD, said she screamed: “He’s poured petrol on me!’’
Ms Clarke died in hospital late on Wednesday.
“Police can confirm a 31-year-old woman involved in a fatal vehicle fire at Camp Hill this morning has died,” read a police statement issued shortly before 9pm. “The woman succumbed to her injuries at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital early this evening.”
Police are investigating previous acts of family violence before yesterday’s horror scenes.
The Courier Mail reports police were called to a family violence incident in January. The couple were said to be working on custody arrangements. Child Safety had been aware of the Baxters due to Baxter’s escalating violence.
Ms Clarke had taken the children out of the family home late last year, neighbours said.
The shocking incident unfolded near her parents’ home, where she was living with the children.
Killer dad: ‘Disgusting human being’
A relative of Hannah Baxter says Rowan was a “monster” the family had been desperately trying to escape. The slain mother’s sister-in-law Stacey Roberts said Ms Clarke’s parents had “exhausted themselves” trying to “help Hannah escape this monster”.
“As you may be aware my beautiful sister in-law and my nieces and nephew had their lives taken by a disgusting human being they called their father,” Ms Roberts wrote on a fundraising page set up on Wednesday night to help cover funeral costs.
“For all those who knew Hannah or had even just met her once would know how much of a beautiful soul she was, her children were her life. All she ever wanted was happiness. Her children were only a reflection of her. Gorgeous, happy kids who held a massive piece in my heart and I’m sure many others because that’s exactly what they were like. We will miss them all more than anything.”
Witness: ‘He wanted his family to burn’
Residents ran from their homes after hearing explosions about 8.20am and were driven back by the heat and flames.
The Courier Mail reports Baxter shouted at those who ran to help with hoses, saying he wanted to let his family burn.
Witness Aaron Snell, who lives metres from where the horror unfolded, said the former NRL player was aggressive at the scene. “As I came to the front after calling triple-0, I saw her (Hannah). She was smoking, her body was smoking and on fire,” he told The Courier Mail. “They’d pulled her out and they were hosing her down on the road, trying to put the flames out. And he (Rowan) was across the road.”
Mr Snell said Baxter was also angered by onlookers trying to help. “He was protesting to stop (us) putting it out,” Mr Snell said. “He was so angry and just going absolutely crazy. It appeared like he wanted it to burn.
“I’m trying to suss out the situation, whether I could do CPR or not and he was just in all matter of states. And then he jumped into the full flaming car, into the front seat to grab a knife. He stabbed himself in the chest.
“That’s when he’s dropped to his knees and went down head first, then he jumped up again, and then he fell flat.”
Another resident, Michael Zemek, was taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital with burns after desperately trying to help.
‘He’s poured petrol on me’
Neighbour Murray Campbell was in his home when he heard an explosion. He rushed outside and saw the car on fire about 20m away.
“I heard the explosion so I’d come running out,” he told The Australian, fighting back tears. “To me, it sounded like a gas bottle. I said to (a family member) then, before I even left inside, I said: ‘Ring triple-0, it’s a gas bottle exploding.’ Next minute, voomf!, about four other explosions. By that time you couldn’t get near the vehicle; unless you had a proper suit on, you were just no hope. The young lady was rolling on the footpath on flames.”
He spoke to witnesses who saw the incident unfold. “According to them, this vehicle that’s obviously burnt pulled up beside them and the lady yelled out: ‘He’s poured petrol on me!’”
Initial information suggests Baxter filled a jerry can with petrol at a local service station before travelling to his parents-in-law’s house. The car was still on fire when emergency services crews arrived.
“I’ve been in the ambulance service for a long time and these things are always confronting when there’s children involved,” said senior operations supervisor Adrian Tong at the scene. “It was confronting. We did all we could.”
The first ambulance crews to arrive at the scene could do little for those trapped in the burning car and “quickly moved on to the people who needed treatment’’.
The good Samaritan taken to hospital, Mr Zemek, was treated for non-life-threatening burns to his face and upper body.
However, Ms Clarke “had severe burns to a significant part of her body”, Mr Tong said. Detective Inspector Mark Thompson said it was a “horrific scene”. Police were working to confirm the cause of the fire, he said.
“How the fire actually occurred has not been ascertained, so for us to call it a murder-suicide or a tragic accident — it is inappropriate for us to do that,” Inspector Thompson said.
“That’s exactly what we’re investigating though, to try to establish what occurred here today and to compile the evidence together so we can determine exactly what happened.”
Inspector Thompson said the incident was one of the most difficult he had dealt with. “I’ve seen some horrific scenes — this is up there with some of the best of them. It’s a terrible thing to be presented with,” he said.
Happy family image shattered
The Baxters owned Integr8, a fitness business in Capalaba, southeast of Brisbane. Both were trainers at the business. Ms Clarke specialised in child fitness, while according to the business’s website her husband had worked with NRL, Super Rugby and AFL clubs to improve player fitness.
Photos and videos portray an outwardly happy family, holding or playing with their three smiling children, Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey. Only a year ago, Mr Baxter was organising a fundraiser to help his wife compete for the title of “Australasia’s fittest mum”.
In October, he shared a video praising his wife’s work with children at their gym. But the gym has been closed since December. It was about that time that cracks in the relationship appeared on their social media accounts.
By late December, his posts showed the family had split when he began uploading photos of his children and messages wishing them goodnight and saying he missed them. He made several similar posts throughout January and friends commented to offer their support.
The Baxters had lived in a single-storey brick and tile house in Carindale, in southeastern Brisbane, where Mr Baxter was often seen walking his daughter to school.
Ms Clarke and the children moved out about December and Mr Baxter had since been living there alone, neighbours said.
The home was sealed off behind police crime scene tape on Wednesday. Its garage door was open and a small trampoline could be seen in the backyard. “There were no arguments, nothing,” one neighbour said.
“She (Hannah) would talk to everyone. I talked to him a couple of times.”
Another said the Baxters lived there for about 18 months. “The wife and the kids disappeared early December,” he said.
If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide call Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).
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