It was not just Hannah Clarke who was bullied and tormented by her estranged husband before he burned her to death — the couple's three children also bore the brunt of his violent and manipulative ways.
WARNING: This story contains content that readers may find distressing.
Dipping his three-year-old son in an ice bucket until the child's eyes bulged, tackling his young daughter rugby-style, or snatching one off the street — these were just a few of the cruel acts Rowan Baxter visited upon his children, even posting videos of abuse he thought was funny.
From a large screen in courtroom four of Brisbane's Magistrate's Court, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey's smiling faces have looked down on the inquest being held this week, while people tried to understand how Baxter could murder them and their mother Hannah Clarke in an arson attack in Brisbane in February 2020.
On Thursday, the inquest heard more about the children, and the previous abuse they suffered at their father's hands.
The inquest also heard evidence that police were warned six days before the killings that Baxter was likely to hurt the family.
Asked about her grandchildren, Hannah's mother Sue Clarke gave emotional evidence, describing how eldest child Aaliyah was a particularly bright six-year-old who read ahead of her year at school.
She described her granddaughter as being very fit and physically strong, and stood up to her father, who consequently "wasn't so fussed with her".
"Laianah Grace had many names, she had Gracie girl, little middle and loved the fact she was the middle child," Ms Clarke said, her voice breaking.
On occasion, Sue Clarke touched a necklace she was wearing, telling the court the names of the three children were engraved on it and that Hannah had been wearing it when Baxter killed her.
"They [the hospital staff] gave me the necklace, which was black, and my best friend was with me and we were in a state and wanting to clean it… and by the time Hannah had passed, it was back to clear gold… it was freaky and I wear it ever since,'' Ms Clarke said.
Children abducted, used as pawns
Baxter disliked his mother-in-law "immensely", Sue Clarke told the court, describing how he had dropped her on her head one day while she worked out with him in the gym he ran with her daughter.
She said it split her face and Baxter had laughed, told her to harden up and said "it happens all the time if you play football".
Ms Clarke's evidence focused on how rough Baxter was with the children and how he would use them as pawns to hurt her and Hannah.
One time, she said Baxter rang her because he had injured Aaliyah.
He had thrown a cushion and knocked Aaliyah into a door jamb and split her head open, she said.
"He called me in a panic because Aaliyah wanted me,'' Ms Clarke said.
She told how Baxter would take the children and "his thing was he would turn the phone off so [Hannah] couldn't contact him".
After Hannah separated from Baxter, he started abducting the children.
On December 26, 2019, Baxter abducted Laianah after the children had been skateboarding with Baxter at a Brisbane park.
"She [Hannah] was crossing the road and she had Trey on her hip and Aaliyah holding her hand and the skateboard, and Rowan was holding Laianah and they got to the middle of the street and he asked if he could have the children for the night and Hannah said no," she said.
"He took off across the street [with Laianah], raced to the car."
Ms Clarke said Baxter and Laianah were gone for three days and when she was returned, the child was subdued and wouldn't speak.
She also revealed Baxter had smashed a gate into pregnant Hannah's leg.
On another occasion, she said Baxter had been allowed to have the children visit and appeared to have deliberately taken a favourite soft doll from Laianah and kept it despite the child needing it to go to sleep.
Ms Clarke said when Hannah rang Baxter to ask for the doll back, he told the child that he needed it to sleep and they never saw it again.
A disturbing note emerges
During the hearing, a disturbing note emerged that had been discovered on Baxter's phone after the murders.
Counsel assisting the coroner Jacoba Brasch QC referenced the note, which stated:
"I'm finishing your game. I don't want to play anymore. This was never my intention.
"You can't f**k with someone's life like this and expect them to just take it… I'm not going to take it anymore.
"I have told the kids that you loved them. They will miss you for sure."
The note was signed from Baxter and the children.
'Eyes bulging in fear'
Another person who saw Baxter's cruelty first-hand and also tried to ensure Hannah was protected by the authorities was her best friend Nicole Brooks, who first met Hannah when they were 14.
She said she was horrified to see Baxter posting videos on social media of him doing abusive things to his children.
"He [Baxter] was abnormal. He thought the videos were so funny. He was a rugby player and to prove how rugged he was he would tackle her [his daughter] almost full force into a blow-up pool," Ms Brooks said.
"And Aaliyah would be crying at the end of the video."
Then there was the time he put Trey, his three-year-old son, in an ice bath.
"He thought that was funny enough to post."
Ms Brooks helped Hannah leave Baxter but had grave fears for her safety.
She warned the police just days before the murder that Baxter was going to kill the family but said she was told they could not do anything until he did something.
She confirmed she told an officer at the Carina police station that Baxter was "going to take them out" and was told they had to wait until Baxter acted.
"I said 'what if you don't get a second chance?''' she said.
Six days later, Baxter jumped into the passenger seat of Hannah Clarke's car while she was driving her children to school, and threw petrol around before setting them all on fire.
Baxter later stabbed himself to death beside the car.
The children died in the back seat while Hannah, suffering burns to more than 90 per cent of her body, managed to get out, but died later in hospital.
