WARNING: Distressing content
A police officer who responded to the horrific arson attack that killed Hannah Clarke and her children has recounted the woman’s heroic last act to assist police as she lay dying from her burns.
First responders have recounted the harrowing discovery after they were called to Camp Hill in east Brisbane where Ms Clarke, her estranged ex-husband Rowan Baxter and their three children perished in a horrendous blaze.
Multiple police, paramedics and fireys will take the stand on the second day of the inquest.
Ms Clarke and her children Aaliyah, 6xjmtzyw, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, were murdered by Baxter on February 19, 2020, outside her parent’s home in Camp Hill.
Baxter ambushed the car as Ms Clarke was driving her kids to school, dousing the woman and the vehicle in petrol before setting it on fire.
Senior Constable Angus Skaines on Tuesday told the court that Ms Clarke “amazingly” recounted what happened for police attending the scene.
When he arrived, Ms Clarke was still being hosed down and was in a lot of pain from her burns.
She even managed to tell him a domestic violence order was in place between herself and Baxter and he had attempted to break her wrist weeks before.
“The car was still on fire and was down the road a fair bit from where it happened,” Constable Skaines said.
Constable Skaines said Ms Clarke was “incredibly brave” in describing what happened after Baxter jumped in the passenger seat.
“It was broken up a bit but what she told me was she had just hopped in the car to go into school … she’d just turned the car on and he’d just jumped in the passenger seat,” he told the court.
“He (Baxter) said ‘I wanted to see my children’ and she (Hannah) said ‘No, get out, get out’.
“Rowan’s told her to drive and that he had a jerry can in his hand.”
Firefighter Anthony Eggins gave evidence of seeing flames coming out of every window of the car when he attended the scene that morning.
The court was told that it was “blatant and obvious” anyone inside the car was not coming out.
“Having been at the scene, and again with hindsight, there was no help for them (the children),” Mr Eggins said.
Paramedic Stephanie Ring told the court that she had finished her shift on the morning Ms Clarke died and stumbled on the horrific scene while driving home.
“I could see the smoke from a street back before I turned into it,” she told the court.
“The flames were easily reaching the tree level of the surrounding trees, I could hear exploding fuel tanks.”
Ms Ring said she pulled over and spoke to Ms Clarke, who was being hosed down by a bystander.
She said the grieving mother told her that Baxter had sprayed petrol on the car and was crying: “My babies are in the car, my children are in the car, why didn’t I just stay in the car with them?”
“I couldn’t see anyone else in the car,” Ms Ring said.
Baxter, who had stabbed himself with a knife, was lying nearby on the road being assessed by a fire officer.
Ms Ring said Baxter appeared conscious as he was able to “track her movements” as she assessed him.
“He was trying to make noises, but there was nothing coherent I couldn’t understand,” she said.
“It appeared he was in too much pain or injured to make the actual words.”
Multiple eyewitnesses on Monday gave evidence of their desperate attempts to hose down Ms Clarke’s burning body after the car exploded.
Neighbour Reece Gourlay revealed Baxter was “pacing” the car as residents attempted to extinguish the fire, as if trying to hinder their aid.
The inquest continues.
Domestic Violence helplines
