A psychologist who treated Hannah Clarke’s murderous ex-husband wrote a “glowing” review of the killer being “very open and sincere” in their sessions before he killed his wife and children, as inquest has heard.
Fiery exchanges erupted at the coronial inquest into the deaths on Wednesday as Vivian Jarrett was grilled over why she didn’t keep accurate notes about her six sessions with Rowan Baxter.
Even the coroner interjected at times, warning the psychologist of her obligations under oath when she appeared to not answer questions.
Hannah Clarke and her children, Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey, were murdered when Baxter doused the family car in petrol and set it on fire on February 19, 2020.
Baxter took his own life as neighbours desperately tried to extinguish the fire.
Vivian Jarrett on Wednesday told the court she had six sessions with Baxter prior to the heinous killings.
Jacoba Brasch, counsel assisting the coroner, grilled Ms Jarrett about why she failed to disclose a document outlining what happened during some of her sessions with Baxter.
This is despite a search warrant in February 2020 ordering the disclosure of the materials.
“The results said he was doing well, I didn’t think it was relevant (to disclose) at time,” she said.
Ms Jarrett repeatedly said she wrote the initial score for Baxter at the top of the document that was disclosed, but was admonished by Dr Brasch.
“I don’t care about the score,” Dr Brasch said.
The court was told Baxter presented with high risk factors, including “jealousy, separation and controlling behaviours”, when he first visited Ms Jarrett.
Ms Jarrett said Baxter mentioned a court hearing about his domestic violence order but did not ask about the order itself or the conditions.
“I don’t feel having the DVO in my hand would have assisted me,” she said.
Even with the red flags Ms Jarrett said she did not keep notes as to whether Baxter may have been engaging in “image management” during their sessions.
She ended up writing a letter saying Baxter was coping “remarkably well” and had been “very open and sincere”.
“The mental health plan was directing me to xjmtzywtreat a mental health condition, the GP was directing me to treat that,”
“I did not think (Baxter’s image management) was relevant to document.”
Earlier that day, chilling audio of Baxter complaining to a men’s support line a day before the heinous killing was played to the court.
CCTV footage of Baxter pacing aisles at a Bunnings Warehouse store, purchasing a jerry can, zip-ties and surface cleaner, was also played.
He is heard on the call to the men’s line he had been “put through the ringer in the last two months” and complaining about his plight of losing the children.
“It’s not my idea, but I had to do it,” Baxter tells the operator.
During the call, Baxter says Hannah had “got to the stage where she was dictating” when he could have the children.
He references his abduction of Laianah on Boxing Day 2019 – falsely claiming his “middle child” wanted to come with him on Boxing Day and “mum didn’t want that”.
“I never thought my wife was capable of doing this … it got worse and worse and worse,” Baxter tells the operator.
A receipt dated February 18 revealed Baxter purchased 4.6 litres of fuel from a Caltex servo as well as three Kinder Surprise chocolates and “other lollies”.
The court also heard from multiple domestic violence support workers, one of whom gave evidence of Ms Clarke asking for support from the Brisbane Domestic Violence Service in December 2019.
At the time, Ms Clarke had concerns about Baxter using technology to abuse her and was seeking advice on family violence.
The woman completed a risk assessment with Ms Clarke, who disclosed that Baxter had choked her during sex – something that made Ms Clarke’s case “high risk”.
The inquest was told that information was not passed on to police as it was “assumed” they would know what happened.
A distraught Hannah Clarke tells police her estranged husband Rowan Baxter has abducted her four-year-old daughter Laianah on Boxing Day 2019.
Domestic Violence helplines
