“I think it had more to do with him feeling sick when he knew she was working for me and that I was supposed to be his partner and that I should be on his side.”
Hannah Clarke and her children Trey, Laianah and Aaliyah.Credit:Stacey Roberts – Facebook
Lewis Bartlett also worked at Athlete’s Foot outlet with Mrs. Clarke.
He said Mrs Clarke one day told colleagues why she never wore shorts at work – because her husband would not allow her to.
Mrs Clarke also told him she was convinced Baxter had failed her phone and had access to her emails for several months.
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Sir. Bartlett said Mrs. Clarke thought her estranged husband would hurt her and that he might use the children as a bargaining chip against her. But she never thought Baxter would harm their children.
A month or so before his death, Clarke asked Mr. Bartlett to create a will.
“She said, ‘If anything happens to me, I want to make sure my children are taken care of,'” he said. Bartlett for the study.
“I replied, ‘Nothing’s going to happen to you, Hannah.'”
“She said, ‘No, he’s going to try to kill me.'”
Another of Baxter’s friends, Eoin Coffey, sent a statement to the court describing examples of Baxter’s controlling behavior.
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Coffey said Baxter told him he had left a recording device, an iPad, in a house, and he had an old iPhone recording at Mrs. Clarke’s home.
Christopher Ensbey was a pastor at the church Baxter and Mrs. Clarke attended, and he talked to both of them about their marriage. He told about a phone call from Mrs. Clarke on December 7, 2019.
“Hannah said there had been no physical abuse, but there was pressure in other areas – one of Rowan’s control mechanisms was that he expected to have sex with her every day, and she felt very controlled in that area. he said at the inquiry on Wednesday. .
Ensby spoke with Baxter on December 22, 2019. He did not hear from him again.
“When he became quiet that way, I assumed it was good news, because he only reached out when [his marriage] it went badly, “he said.
“And the last thing I heard at this service was that he [Baxter] saw his children, they slept over occasionally – it sounded like there was forward motion. “
The investigation continues.
Call for immediate support Livline on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue on 1300 46 36 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Find a range of mental health tests, tools and support resources at beyondblue.org.au and blackdoginstitute.org.au.