Brisbane suicide murderer Rowan Baxter rejected sharing custody of children with Hannah Clarke

Rowan Baxter rejected an offer to share custody of his children, aged three to six, with his estranged wife Hannah Clarke before he killed them all in a horrific car fire. 

Ms Clarke, 31, and her kids Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, burned to death after Baxter, 42, set the Kia Sportage on fire on Wednesday morning. 

Prior to the murder-suicide, Baxter ignored his lawyer’s advice to accept an offer that allowed him to have custody of the three children 165 days of the year, it was revealed on Saturday. 

A source close to Baxter told the ABC that the killer would alternate between three days and four days of custody per week if he accepted the deal. 

‘He got the children back but… he wanted 50-50, that was it. It was his way or nothing,’ he told the national broadcaster. 

‘In my view, it wasn’t about the children at all, he just couldn’t move past the relationship with Hannah.’ 

Rowan Baxter, 42, rejected an offer to share custody of his children, aged three to six, with his estranged wife Hannah Clarke before he killed them all in a horrific car fire

Hannah Clarke (pictured with children Trey, Aaliyah and Laianah) was murdered by her estranged husband on Wednesday

Hannah Clarke (pictured with children Trey, Aaliyah and Laianah) was murdered by her estranged husband on Wednesday

Baxter allegedly kidnapped his six-year-old daughter on Boxing Day last year, which allowed the Ms Clarke to get a domestic violence order (DVO) against him. 

In January, the DVO was varied and Baxter regained access to his children, which is when he refused to sign the consent form that would give him 165 days of custody per year during mediation, according to the source.

The father instead signed non-legally binding parenting agreement that gave him the same level of access as Ms Clarke – but the agreement was voided when he allegedly assaulted his wife in breach of the DVO.  

On Wednesday, Baxter rushed into his estranged wife’s car, put a knife to her throat and told her to drive, then set her on fire with their three children when she stopped for help.  

Her shattered father Lloyd Clarke has pieced together the horrific timeline of events that led to the tragic loss of four lives and Baxter’s suicide.

Despite suffering burns to 97 per cent of her body, heroic Hannah was able to give police at the scene a detailed statement about what happened. 

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left, with his grandson Trey) was a hands-on grandpa to Hannah's three children

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left, with his grandson Trey) was a hands-on grandpa to Hannah’s three children

She was taking the children to school after 8am from her parents’ house in Camp Hill, Brisbane, while her killer lay in wait. 

A notorious control freak, Baxter had been spiralling since Hannah left him with the kids in November and decided to get his revenge. 

‘Rowan must have been lurking somewhere close, either hidden around the side of the house or in the neighbour’s driveway,’ Mr Clarke told Daily Mail Australia.

‘His car was found down the street, this was definitely premeditated.’ 

Hannah got the children into the car and walked to the back seat to buckle Trey’s seatbelt as the girls could do their own. 

That was all the time her killer needed. 

‘He was very quick, being an ex-athlete. So as she’s doing that, he’s run into the passenger seat and held a knife to her throat and told her to drive,’ Mr Clarke said. 

‘She got down to the corner here, turned left, and saw a neighbour washing his car and drove towards him to get help.’ 

A shrine grows at the scene where Hannah and her three kids were doused in fuel and set alight, while one person leaves a poignant sign about domestic violence (pictured)

A shrine grows at the scene where Hannah and her three kids were doused in fuel and set alight, while one person leaves a poignant sign about domestic violence (pictured)

The shocking murder-suicide that has left Australia reeling unfolded just metres from the home of Ms Clarke's parents on Raven Street, Camp Hill, as she drove her children to school

The shocking murder-suicide that has left Australia reeling unfolded just metres from the home of Ms Clarke’s parents on Raven Street, Camp Hill, as she drove her children to school

Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) died of her injuries on Wednesday

Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) died of her injuries on Wednesday

Michael Zemek was the heroic first responder to the horror that was about to engulf Raven Street and traumatise dozens of residents. 

As Hannah stopped alongside him and yelled ‘he’s poured petrol on me’, Baxter realised his time was up, and lit the fire while he was still inside the car. 

‘When he gets trapped in a corner, he has no empathy so he would have just gone ”ok, that’s it, light it, boom, gone”,’ Mr Clarke said. 

‘In a way I hope he poured it (the petrol) on the girls because that would have been quicker.’ 

As the car was engulfed in flames, Hannah jumped out while her activewear was on fire and the flaming petrol melting her skin. 

Mr Zemek helped her smother the flames by dropping to the ground and rolling, then sprayed water on her horrific burns with his garden hose. 

He suffered burns to his face and hands in the process and is still recovering in hospital. 

Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) is seen enjoying a day with her own grandmother (far left)

Hannah Clarke (pictured with her three children, aliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3) is seen enjoying a day with her own grandmother (far left)

Hannah Clarke pictured with her 'main man', son Trey in a beach snap

Rowan Baxter and Hannah Clarke (pictured) are seen on their wedding day

Left: Hannah Clarke pictured with her ‘main man’, son Trey in a beach snap. Right: Mrs Baxter on her wedding with her husband

Astonishingly, even with burns to every part of her body except the sole of one foot, Hannah was able to explain exactly to police what had happened. 

‘She still had enough strength and was still conscious enough to give a detailed description to the first responders saying what had happened,’ Mr Clarke said. 

‘He ambushed her and got into the car. She managed to give a detailed report to medicos and first responders there, the police,’ he told A Current Affair.

‘Almost like a police report they said. She was so articulate. At this time he did this and he did that.

‘To the end she fought to make sure if he survived he got punished doing to her babies. She was so brave.

‘I didn’t know she’d been able to be that detailed. She made sure she got out as much information as possible.’ 

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) appeared on A Current Affair with his wife Suzanne (centre) and son Nat (right) as they paid tribute to their family

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) appeared on A Current Affair with his wife Suzanne (centre) and son Nat (right) as they paid tribute to their family

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) and Suzanne (right) are seen meeting baby Trey for the first time, along with his big sister Aaliyah. Trey was to die at three years old along with his sisters and mum

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) and Suzanne (right) are seen meeting baby Trey for the first time, along with his big sister Aaliyah. Trey was to die at three years old along with his sisters and mum

The shattered father said he wrestled with how much he wanted to know about his daughter’s last moments and there was more detail the police hadn’t yet shared. 

‘I do want to find out and I don’t want to find out,’ he said. 

‘I don’t know what his agenda was, was he driving somewhere to do it somewhere else, was he just going to do Hannah?’ 

Witnesses told Daily Mail Australia that even while Hannah was on fire her thoughts were with her children. 

‘My children are in the car, save my children,’ she called out. 

But it was too late. The heat was so intense that the kids had no hope, and tradies who tried to open the doors burned their hands. 

‘She loved her kids, there was nothing she wouldn’t have done for them. Even at the end she fought to save them,’ Hannah’s mother Suzanne said. 

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) was an active and involved granddad, often taking the kids out on day trips. He is seen with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) was an active and involved granddad, often taking the kids out on day trips. He is seen with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4

Suzanne Clarke (pictured) with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4 said her grandchildren were 'her world'

Suzanne Clarke (pictured) with Aaliyah, 6 and Laianah, 4 said her grandchildren were ‘her world’

By contrast, cowardly Baxter tried to fight off neighbours trying to put out the fire in the car, then stabbed himself in the chest until he died. 

During the A Current Affair interview, Hannah’s devastated mother revealed she had even discussed writing a will, saying: ‘She said to me only last week, ‘Mum should I do a will?’

”What happens to my babies if he kills me? Because he’ll go to jail for murder, who gets my children?’ She said, ‘I want you and dad to have them or Nat. I don’t want his family to have them’.

‘I didn’t think he’d hurt the kids. She was concerned he would kill her. I believed that could be possible.’

The family said the dedicated mum would do anything for the young kids, and was working to start a new life for them.

Hannah Clarke was burnt alive along with her three children after her abusive husband, Rowan Charles Baxter, set their car alight on the school run in Brisbane on Wednesday morning

Hannah Clarke was burnt alive along with her three children after her abusive husband, Rowan Charles Baxter, set their car alight on the school run in Brisbane on Wednesday morning

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) enjoyed gardening with his grandchildren before the horrific murders

Lloyd Clarke (pictured, left) enjoyed gardening with his grandchildren before the horrific murders

Sat clutching each other’s hand during the interview, the Clarkes said they began to fear for their daughter’s safety when she finally left her abusive husband in November last year.

He hadn’t been physically abusive to her before that, instead using financial, sexual and emotional manipulation.

Asked whether she was concerned about her daughter’s life, her mother said: ‘More so when she was getting ready to leave.

‘While he felt he was still in control of the situation it was all not physically as dangerous.

‘But we knew there was no way she could say ‘I’m going’ and walk out the door.’

BRISBANE MURDER-SUICIDE: HOW COWARDLY RAMPAGE UNFOLDED

JANUARY, 2020

Queensland Police officers are called to a family violence incident that allegedly involved the couple.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19 – EARLY MORNING:

Ex-NRL star Rowan Charles Baxter, 42, is spotted filling a jerry can with fuel at a local service station. 

8.20AM:   

Baxter dives into his estranged wife Hannah Clarke’s white Kia Sportage as she was preparing to do the school drop off on Raven Street, Camp Hill, a wealthy suburb of Brisbane.

He douses Ms Clarke, 31, and their three children – Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three – in petrol and sets the car alight. 

Neighbours hear an explosion which sounded like a ‘gas bottle’ blast. At least four explosions followed. 

Baxter grabs a knife from the SUV and stabs himself in the chest.

He tries to stop neighbours from saving his wife and children before dying in the street.

Ms Clarke escapes the burning car and screams: ‘He’s poured petrol on me.’ 

Horrified witnesses see her skin peeling off her body.

One heroic neighbour hoses her down in an attempt to save her life and suffers burns himself. 

She is rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition.   

WEDNESDAY NIGHT:

Ms Clarke dies in hospital from the horrendous burns she suffered in the quadruple murder suicide.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk