London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026

Murders spark calls for landmark police trial in Australia

Murders spark calls for landmark police trial in Australia

A landmark trial of a specialist domestic violence police station has been recommended by a coroner after two murders that shocked Australia.
Hannah Clarke, and her children, and Doreen Langham were burned to death by their ex-partners in Queensland.

Magistrate Jane Bentley this week found authorities missed or ignored signs that both women would be killed.

The trial was among several recommendations she made to improve responses to domestic violence.

Magistrate Bentley said the new model police station should have specialist police officers, support workers, a child safety officer and a lawyer to provide legal advice to police and victims.

Such police stations in countries like Brazil and India have reduced the female homicide rate, she noted, citing expert evidence given at one of the inquests.

Other recommendations included better training for police and government funding for men's behavior change programs.

Rowan Baxter ambushed Hannah Clarke and the couple's children in Brisbane in February 2020, dousing them in petrol and setting their car alight before killing himself.

The three children - Aaliyah aged six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three - died in the car.

Ms Clarke, who had suffered severe burns to everything but the soles of her feet, died in hospital hours later.

The 31-year-old had separated from Baxter in the months before the murders, and had repeatedly sought police help over domestic violence, securing court orders.

Her family have told how Baxter became increasingly verbally abusive and controlling - dictating what she wore and monitoring where she went - towards the end of the relationship.

On Wednesday Magistrate Bentley concluded all the agencies that dealt with the increasingly scared woman had failed to recognise the "extreme risk" she would be killed.

"That failure probably came about because Baxter had not been violent and had no relevant criminal history," she said.

But even if authorities had realized the risk, she said it was "unlikely" they could have stopped Baxter from "executing his murderous plans".

"He was not mentally ill, he was a master of manipulation," she said.

"Her fears were genuine and realistic and ultimately confirmed in the very worst way."

She noted a missed opportunity to charge Baxter after he breached a domestic violence order, but found that the support Ms Clarke was given was, overall, "adequate and appropriate".

It was a different story for Ms Langham.

Magistrate Bentley on Monday found police "failed to take even the most basic steps" to protect the 49-year-old from ex-partner Gary Hely.

She died in a house fire lit by Hely in February 2021, despite contact with 16 different police officers, telling them how he had broken into her home, threatened her life and was harassing her on the phone.

The inquest earlier this year heard the man had a "significant" history of domestic violence interstate and had breached protective orders several times in the weeks before the fire.

Magistrate Bentley said there were countless opportunities for intervention.

"The police officers failed to protect her and prevent her death," she said.

"If all complaints had been dealt with properly Hely would likely not have killed Ms Langham and himself."

The Queensland attorney-general has said the government will carefully consider all the coroner's recommendations and respond soon.

But Ms Clarke's parents hope other states adopt them too.

On average, one Australian woman is murdered every nine days by a current or former partner and police respond to a domestic violence call every two minutes.

"It's not just a Queensland problem," Ms Clarke said, speaking after the inquest closed.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Government Advances New Airport Slot Rules to Ease Airline Operating Constraints
BBC Opens Flagship Science-Fiction Franchise to Competitive Production Bids
Chancellor Meets City Leaders Amid Concerns Over Gilt Market Liquidity
Rathbones Shares Fall Seventeen Percent After Regulatory Review Reveals Compliance Failings
United Kingdom Joins Group of Seven Initiative Using Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing for Cancer Research
Parliament Debates Doubling Tax Allowance for Pensioners After Major Public Petition
Measles Cases Exceed Seven Hundred in London and the West Midlands
British Military Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny After Defence Secretary's Sudden Resignation
House of Lords Begins Debate on Steel Industry Nationalisation Legislation
Parliament Advances Bill to Abolish NHS England and Create Single Patient Records
Parliament Fast-Tracks National Security Bill to Expand Powers Against Foreign Threats
United Kingdom and European Union Set July Summit to Deepen Post-Brexit Cooperation
United Kingdom Imposes Seventy New Sanctions on Russia and Expands Support for Ukraine's Nuclear Sector
United Kingdom Announces Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
0British Government Investigates Reports of Russian Warship Firing Warning Shots Near Isle of Wight
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
Solicitor General Refers Murder Sentence to Court of Appeal Under Unduly Lenient Scheme
UK Launches £1.6 Million Mobile Museum Initiative to Expand Cultural Access
Judicial Pay Structure Undergoes Government Review Following Senior Recommendations
Government Confirms Nearly 180 New Youth Hubs Across the United Kingdom
UK Government Expands Careers Support Through Partnership with LinkedIn
Digital News Report Highlights Growing Global Concern Over AI and Information Overload
UK Chancellor Reaffirms Fiscal Discipline and Borrowing Reduction Strategy
UK Government Invests £219 Million in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Development
Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors Secures Major Swedish Export Contract
Government Confirms Locations for Nearly 180 Youth Hubs Across Great Britain
UK Government Partners with LinkedIn to Expand Employment Support Services
Reuters Institute Report Flags Rising Public Anxiety Over News and Information Overload
UK Government Commits £219 Million to Expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry
Chancellor Convenes Market Engagement Group to Assess UK Economic Outlook and Productivity Risks
Rolls-Royce Wins Multibillion-Pound Swedish Contract for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Government to Ban Social Media Access for Under-Sixteens Across the United Kingdom
Government Approves Fast-Tracked Broadcast Merger Reshaping UK's Media Landscape
Resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey Triggers Debate Over UK Military Strategy
Britain Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts to Support US-Iran Ceasefire
Bank of England Faces Tough Interest Rate Choices After Economic Contraction
Belfast Sees Second Day of Anti-Migrant Riots as Police Deploy Water Cannons
UK Economy Shrinks in April as Energy Price Shocks Weigh on Growth
UK to Ban Social Media Access for Children Under 16 From 2027
UK Parliament Opens Week of Fast-Tracked Security and Infrastructure Legislation
Northern Ireland Projects £21 Million Boost From Major Cultural and Sporting Events
UK and Japan Sign Technology Security Pact to Strengthen AI and Supply Chain Cooperation
UK Welcomes US-Iran Peace Breakthrough Aimed at Restoring Strait of Hormuz Shipping
British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in English Channel Sanctions Operation
UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Under Landmark Online Safety Expansion
Anti-Immigrant Riots Spread Across Belfast, Raising Security Concerns
Ministry of Defence Opens Europe's Largest Drone Testing Facility in Swindon
×