Hannah Clarke murder: 39 tell-tale signs an abusive relationship could turn deadly

When they were married Hannah Clarke’s ex-husband Rowan Baxter was so controlling he had even tried banning his wife from wearing the colour pink.

He saw Hannah as a possession and their children, Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, as pawns.

Every second of Hannah’s schedule, Baxter tried to dictate. He told her what to wear, demanded daily sex and became so paranoid about her contact with other men he tried to access CCTV to monitor her. Then when she fled the relationship he stalked her, tried to get her sacked from her job and left photos of her in underwear out for their children to see.

This is what some of what has been revealed in an inquest into the horror domestic violence murder of Hannah and her three children in 2020.

Hannah’s mother Sue Clarke gave evidence on how Baxter had left Hannah “walking on egg shells” .

She said he had a lack of empathy and described an incident when he dropped her during an exercise at the gym that split her lip open.

“He laughed at me and told me to ‘harden up’, that it happens all the time if you play football,” she told the inquest.

The inquest also heard how Baxter showed 29 out of 39 “lethality indicators” of domestic violence before he murdered Hannah and their three children by dousing them in petrol and setting them alight in their car. He then killed himself. The lethality indicators can be used to assess the risk someone will be murdered by a partner or ex-partner.

Counsel assisting the coroner Jacoba Brasch said some of the risk factors Hannah showed included prior suicide threats by Baxter, child custody or access disputes, actual pending separation, age disparity and her intuitive sense of fear — “which were in “plain sight”.

Laura Bos, the Small Steps 4 Hannah foundation director, told The West Australian it was important there was wider understanding of relationship red flags. This included “coercive control”— patterns of behaviour where abusers seek to gain power over their victims.

“A lot of it is the emotional, financial abuse, it’s insidious in the way that it works. It’s like it’s almost hidden. But Hannah’s story has lifted the veil off these behaviours,” she said.

“What this inquest is doing is highlighting the behaviour that happened before that fateful day, that horrible day. One day is not the whole story,” she said.

“ There are people walking among us now today who are living with coercive control and some of them don’t recognise it because they think ‘he doesn’t hit me’ or ‘she doesn’t hurt me’, but it’s the emotional abuse, it’s the financial abuse, it’s the continual threats, it’s the belittling.”

“It’s well recognised now that coercive control is the precursor to physical behaviours. It’s really dangerous in itself, the emotional toll, the damage that it does.”

These are the signs partners and families need to be aware of:

1. History of violence outside of the family by perpetrator

Any actual or attempted assault on any person who is not, or has not been, in an intimate relationship with the perpetrator. This could include friends or strangers.

2. History of domestic violence

Any actual, attempted, or threatened abuse/maltreatment including physical, emotional, psychological, financial or sexual towards a person who has been in, or is in, an intimate relationship with the perpetrator.

3. Prior threats to kill victim

Any comment made to the victim, or others, that was intended to instil fear for the safety of the victim’s life.

These comments could have been delivered verbally, in the form of a letter, or left on an answering machine.

Threats can range in degree of explicitness from “I’m going to kill you” to “you’re going to pay for what you did” and “If I can’t have you, then nobody can”.

The inquest heard how a month before she was killed, Hannah found a threatening note on her estranged husband’s phone accusing her of destroying his life and that said her children “will miss you I’m sure”.

4. Prior threats with a weapon

Any incident in which the perpetrator threatened to use a weapon or other object intended to be used as a weaponfor the purpose of instilling fear in the victim.

5. Prior assault with a weapon

Any actual or attempted assault on the victim in which a weapon or other object intended to be used as a weapon was used.

6. Prior threats to commit suicide by perpetrator

Any recent act or comment in the past six months made by the perpetrator that was intended to convey the perpetrator’s idea or intent of committing suicide.

These comments could have been made verbally, or delivered in letter format, or left on an answering machine.

The inquest was told how Baxter would threaten to kill himself if she did not have sex with him.

7. Prior suicide attempts by perpetrator

Any recent suicidal behaviour even if the behaviour was not taken seriously or did not require arrest, medical attention, or psychiatric committal.

8. Prior attempts to isolate the victim

Any non-physical behaviour, whether successful or not, that was intended to keep the victim from associating with others.

The perpetrator could have used various psychological tactics (ie. guilt trips) to discourage the victim from associating with family and friends, such as “if you leave, then don’t even think about coming back”.

9. Controlled most or all of victim’s daily activities

Any actual or attempted behaviour on the part of the perpetrator, whether successful or not, intended to exert full power over the victim.

For example, when the victim was allowed in public, the perpetrator made them account for where they were at all times and who they were with.

Another example could include not allowing the victim to have control over any finances (ie. not letting them get a job.)

The inquest was told how Baxter tried to control Hannah’s work schedule and banned her from wearing shorts to work.

10. Prior hostage-taking and/or forcible confinement

Any actual or attempted behaviour, whether successful or not, in which the perpetrator physically attempted to limit the mobility of the victim.

For example, any incidents of forcible confinement (ie. locking the victim in a room) or not allowing the victim to use the telephone.

Attempts to withhold access to transport should also be included, such as taking or hiding car keys.

The perpetrator may have used violence to gain compliance or may have been passive (ie. stood in the way of an exit).

11. Prior forced sexual acts and/or assaults during sex

Any actual, attempted, or threatened behaviour, whether successful or not, used to engage the victim in sexual acts (of whatever kind) against the victim’s will.

Or any assault on the victim, of whatever kind (such as biting, scratching, punching and choking), during the course of a sexual act.

12. Child custody or access disputes

Any dispute in regards to the custody, contact, primary care or control of children, including formal legal proceedings or any third parties having knowledge of such arguments.

Baxter had previously abducted their four-year-old daughter. The court heard how Hannah was anxious following the abduction.

13. Prior destruction or deprivation of victim’s property

Any incident in which the perpetrator intended to damage any form of property that was owned, or partially owned, by the victim or formerly owned by the perpetrator.

This could include slashing the tyres of the car that the victim uses. It could also include breaking windows or throwing items at a place of residence.

14. Prior violence against pets

Any action directed towards a pet of the victim, or a former pet of the perpetrator, with the intention of causing distress to the victim or instilling fear in the victim. This could range in severity from killing the victim’s pet to abducting it or torturing it.

15. Prior assault on victim while pregnant

Any actual or attempted physical violence, ranging in severity from a push or slap to the face, to punching or kicking the victim in the stomach while pregnant.

16. Choked/throttled victim in the past

Any attempt (separate from the incident leading to death) to strangle the victim. The perpetrator could have used various things to accomplish this task (hands, arms, rope etc).

17. Perpetrator was abused and/or witnessed domestic violence as a child

As a child/adolescent, the perpetrator was victimised and/or exposed to any actual, attempted, or threatened family violence.

Baxter had childhood trauma, the inquest was told.

18. Escalation of violence

The abuse (physical, psychological, emotional or sexual) inflicted upon the victim was increasing in frequency and/or severity.

For example, this can be evidenced by more regular trips for medical attention or include an increase in complaints of abuse to/by family, friends, or other acquaintances.

19. Obsessive behaviour displayed by perpetrator

Any actions or behaviours by the perpetrator that indicate an intense preoccupation with the victim.

For example, stalking, such as following the victim, spying on the victim, making repeated phone calls to the victim, or excessive gift-giving.

20. Perpetrator unemployed

Employed means having full-time or near full-time employment (including self-employment). Unemployed means experiencing frequent job changes or significant periods of lacking a source of income.

21. Victim and perpetrator living together

22. Presence of stepchildren in the home

23. Extreme minimisation and/or denial of spousal assault history

At some point the perpetrator was confronted, either by the victim, a family member or friend, and the perpetrator displayed an unwillingness to end assaultive behaviour or enter/comply with any form of treatment. Or the perpetrator denied many or all past assaults, denied personal responsibility for the assaults (perhaps blaming the victim), or denied the serious consequences of the assault (such as “they weren’t really hurt”).

24. Actual or pending separation

The partner wanted to end the relationship. Or the perpetrator was separated from the victim but wanted to renew the relationship.

Or there was a sudden and/or recent separation. Or the victim sought a separation and/or divorce.

25. Excessive alcohol and/or drug use by perpetrator

Within the past year, substance abuse that appeared to be characteristic of the perpetrator’s dependence on, and/or addiction to the substance. An increase in the pattern of use and/or change of character or behaviour that is directly related to the alcohol and/or drug use can indicate excessive use by the perpetrator.

For example, people describe the perpetrator as constantly drunk or claim that they never see them without a beer in their hand.

26. Depression — in the opinion of family/friend/acquaintance — perpetrator

In the opinion of family or friends the perpetrator displayed symptoms characteristic of depression.

27. Depression — professionally diagnosed — perpetrator

A diagnosis of depression by any mental health professional, regardless of whether the perpetrator received treatment.

28. Other mental health or psychiatric problems — perpetrator

For example: psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, mania; obsessive compulsive disorder, etc.

29. Access to or possession of any firearms

The perpetrator stored firearms in their home, place of employment, or in some other nearby location.

30. New partner in victim’s life

Or the perpetrator perceived there to be a new intimate partner.

31. Failure to comply with authority — perpetrator

The perpetrator has violated family, civil, or criminal court orders, conditional releases, community supervision orders, or “no contact” orders. This includes bail, probation, or restraining orders.

32. Perpetrator exposed to/witnessed suicidal behaviour in family of origin

As a child or adolescent, the perpetrator was exposed to and/or witnessed any actual, attempted or threatened forms of suicidal behaviour in their family, or somebody close to them attempted or committed suicide.

33. After risk assessment, perpetrator had access to victim

After a formal or informal risk assessment was completed, the perpetrator still had access to the victim.

34. Youth of couple

Victim and perpetrator were between the ages of 15 and 24.

35. Sexual jealousy – perpetrator

The perpetrator continuously accuses the victim of infidelity, repeatedly interrogates the victim, searches for evidence, tests the victim’s fidelity and sometimes stalks the victim.

36. Misogynistic attitudes — perpetrator

Hating or having a strong prejudice against women. This attitude can be overtly expressed with hate statements, or can be more subtle with beliefs that women are only good for domestic work or that all women are “whores”.

37. Age disparity of couple

Women in an intimate relationship with a partner who is significantly older or younger. The disparity is usually nine years or more.

38. Victim’s intuitive sense of fear of perpetrator

The victim is one who knows the perpetrator best and can accurately gauge their level of risk.

If the victim discloses to anyone their fear of the perpetrator harming them or their children, for example statements such as, “I fear for my life” or “I think he will hurt me”, this is a definite indication of serious risk.

The inquest heard how Hannah told friends she was scared Baxter would kill her.

39. Perpetrator threatened and/or harmed children

Any actual, attempted, or threatened abuse (physical, emotional, psychological, financial or sexual) towards children.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)