“Why?”
It’s the one question the devastated parents of Hannah Clarke have revealed they keep asking in the face of such unspeakable horror.
Sue and Lloyd Clarke teared up on the witness stand as they revealed how their lives had been shattered after their daughter and grandchildren were murdered at the hands of Hannah’s estranged ex-husband, Rowan Baxter.
The murderous father ambushed the family on their way to school, dousing the car in petrol and setting it alight on February 19, 2020.
Lloyd Clarke, Hannah’s father, on Thursday told the court he hoped to give a voice to their slain family members and “demand justice and change”.
“If they had a voice, they would say the same thing we say: ‘Why?’” Mr Clarke said.
“Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey would say: ‘Why would you hurt us Daddy? Why would you take away our futures? Why would you take away our laughter, our games, our reading, our dancing, our singing, our playing? Why didn’t you love us, just like a father is supposed to do?’
“Hannah would say: ‘Why couldn’t you be a better man? A better father, a better husband? Why did you have to be such a coward and a bully to us for so many years?’
“‘Why did you always have to have the last manipulative, vindictive word?’”
Throughout the inquest, police and domestic violence support workers gave evidence of their dealings with the young family in the lead-up to Baxter’s heinous crime.
Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes as Hannah cried for help while engulfed in flames.
Baxter took his own life while attempting to hinder efforts to extinguish the burning vehicle.
Mr Clarke revealed he and his wife had continually asked why this was allowed to happen and why their daughter received “no genuine protection”.
“Why does it take the murder of four beautiful souls, and dozens of others every year, before governments respond,” he asked.
Mr Clarke paid tribute to his beautiful grandchildren and Hannah’s “kind and remarkable soul”.
He said she made people happy and always put others before herself.
Rowan Baxter is seen on footage at Bunnings shopping for the tools he used to launch an attack on his estranged wife Hannah Clarke and their three children
“Her beautiful spirit was crushed, every move controlled and every interaction with family and friends was vetted,” Mr Clarke said.
Sue Clarke, Hannah’s mother, broke down revealing how their lives changed forever two years ago.
She said over the last two weeks the pair had to relive “the worst day of our lives” in excruciating detail.
“There is not one part that has not been affected by their murders,” Ms Clarke said.
“Our grief is still continuing.
“We have trouble articulating the emotional and mental impacts of this crime, they are so overwhelming it seems impossible to find the words.
“Every single day we spend (in) the shadow of that moment of what xjmtzywwas done to our beautiful angels.”
The court was told Ms Clarke couldn’t bring herself to go into her grandchildren’s room to clean up their toys – they were left that way on the day of the horrific murder.
“Holidays like Christmas and Mother’s Day are almost unbearable,” Ms Clarke said.
“The hole in our family is gaping and will never be filled.”
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