A woman has recounted the harrowing Boxing Day abduction of one of Hannah Clarke’s children by her murderous ex-husband, leaving the young mum and her kids “wailing” on the street.
Cardiologist Julie Ann Humphries took the stand on the fifth day of the inquest into Ms Clarke’s grisly murder, recalling how Rowan Baxter took one of Hannah’s children, Laianah, and drove off in broad daylight.
The incident unfolded several months before Ms Clarke and her children were murdered by Baxter.
Dr Humphries on Friday told the court that she was riding her bike on Oxford St on the morning of Boxing Day 2019 when she saw the horrifying abduction unfold.
“The children were very distressed … there was a man who was holding a small child walking very quickly to a sedan,” she said.
“The woman was still screaming out for him to stop.”
Dr Humphries said “something didn’t sit right” with the situation and she alerted nearby police.
“The children were walking towards the car, Hannah had them by the hand … she was trying to get to the car as quickly as she could, but the car was still 40m away before it drove off.” she told the court.
“They were wailing, very distressed.
“He didn’t appear to be caring for the child. He was carrying her, driving off in a hurry. He didn’t secure her in the car or put her in the back.
“A loving father wouldn’t behave in that way.”
Baxter fled to northern NSW before Laianah was returned to Ms Clarke several days later.
Throughout the inquest the court was told Baxter exhibited abusive and controlling behaviours towards Ms Clarke during their marriage.
Close friends said he appeared to treat the young mum and the kids as “possessions”, saying Baxter had little self-awareness of how to repair his marriage.
Detective Sergeant Derek Harris also gave evidence on Friday about completing his referral of the child abduction incident on January 1, 2020.
The court was told no charges were laid over the incident as there were no specific breaches of the criminal code.
It was instead deemed a “custody dispute”.
“There’s no family law court order, no child protection order in place, to stop Rowan from having access to that child,” Sergeant Harris said.
“It was disgusting and inappropriate and he did it to cause harm to Hannah … but it wasn’t a crime.”
During his investigations, Sergeant Harris said Baxter seemed to exhibit “two different personalities” after finding a disturbing suicide note written on his phone.
“I believe with xjmtzywhis personality, his inability to look outward, he needed to maintain this appearance that it wasn’t his fault,” he said.
Sergeant Harris said a major change that could combat coercive control was teaching children about “positive relationships” at a school level so they could recognise the signs.
The inquest continues.
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