Mum’s final agonising moments in hospital revealed after car fire murder-suicide
A close friend of Hannah Clarke has revealed the mother’s strength during her final hours in hospital hours after she was set alight by her estranged husband in a car fire that claimed the lives of their three young children.
The 31-year-old died late on Wednesday after Rowan Baxter doused her car in petrol before setting it alight in the quiet Brisbane suburb of Camp Hill during the morning school run.
While her children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3 died at the scene, Ms Clarke battled on despite suffering burns to 97 per cent of her body.
Baxter died from self-inflicted injuries, police said, with witnesses saying they saw the father plunge a knife into his chest.
Simon Farmer, whose young family was close with Ms Clarke and her children, took to Facebook hours after her death to reveal the fight and drive the mother showed in her final moments.
“You should all know how strong she was, she fought so hard,” Mr Farmer said.
“She hung in there... until the last heartbeat brought a tidal wave of grief and anger. I’ll never forget that.”
Mr Farmer told The Australian the only part of her body that wasn’t burnt was her foot. In an “incredibly powerful moment”, one of the nurses brought friends and family a footprint on a piece of paper.
“This is all we could get,” she explained.
The footprint will be used by Ms Clarke’s family to drive their push to end domestic violence under the name ‘Small Steps for Hannah’.
In Mr Farmer’s emotional social media post, he also detailed the strength of Dr Holley and his team who displayed “the ultimate professionalism and care”.
“I am a father just like him and I pledge that I will raise my sons to be strong men like Hannah’s dad the Dr Holleys of this world,” he said.
According to Mr Farmer, Ms Clarke’s family want a similar message spread far and wide.
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“If we can have a generation of young boys from here onwards that are all going to have the chat, they’re all going to hear it, hopefully from parents but also definitely in schools, about this is how Australian boys need to treat women,” he told The Australian.
“We’ve all heard from our dads how you don’t hit girls; we all know that.
“But it’s maybe a bit more of an in-depth chat as to what respecting women is all about, and also how we view male strength.”
Hundreds attend vigil for Ms Clarke and her children
On Sunday, Mr Farmer’s wife Lou paid an emotional tribute to Ms Clarke at a vigil attended by about 1000 people in a Brisbane park that was loved by the mother and her children.
“Hannah was the most beautiful, loyal, passionate, brave, loving woman that I know,” she Ms Farmer said to the mourners.
“You have touched the hearts of all the Australians and we pledge to not let your deaths be in vein.”
Dressed in pink, Hannah's father Lloyd and brother Nat, thanked the crowd for their support.
"We would have felt lost without all your support," Lloyd Clarke said.
"I don't know how we can repay such kindness."
Many who addressed the crowd spoke of Hannah's courage and love.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said Hannah was able to give a detailed account of the attack while fighting for her life.
“Right through to her passing, Hannah showed amazing courage and heroism, ensuring that she gave our police and emergency services at the scene a detailed statement of the horrific events that unfolded, leading to the death of her three children and ultimately herself,” shel said.
Commissioner Carroll revealed Ms Clarke had aspirations to be a police officer within the Queensland Police Service – a position Commissioner Carroll said she would have been more than capable of filling.
“Hannah’s determination to provide our police the information they needed to ensure justice should be served truly encapsulates the sort of person Hannah was,” she said.
“She was strong, she was determined, she was courageous.
“How lucky we would have been in the Queensland Police to have welcomed someone with those attributes into our policing family.”
‘We are a nation in pain’
While many tried to remember the best of Ms Clarke and her children, many could not hide their grief over one of the state's worst acts of domestic violence.
A mass of flowers and children's toys were laid at the front of the vigil, while hundreds of condolence messages have been written by a community still in shock.
Nikki Brookes, a friend of Ms Clarke, had to hold back tears as she addressed the crowd.
She called for the community to not turn a blind eye to domestic violence.
"We are a nation in pain," she said.
"Don't back away from your friends for the sake of convenience.
"Time's up on domestic violence."
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
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