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Inquest into the murder of Hannah Clarke and her children begins.
This post deals with the topic of domestic violence and might be triggering to some readers.
Hannah Clarke, 31, her daughters Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and her son, three-year-old Trey, died after Clarke’s estranged husband Rowan Baxter jumped in their vehicle with a petrol can and set it on fire in Brisbane in 2020.
An inquest into their murders commenced this month, with witnesses describing their attempts to save the mum and her three children.
Before she died, Clarke told witnesses that Baxter instructed her to drive, but she stopped outside a local house where physiotherapist Michael Zemek was washing his car.
Zemek said he first heard a hysterical scream, before Clarke yelled: "Call the police, call the police. He's trying to kill me. He's put petrol on me." He couldn't see or hear children, but Baxter was holding Clarke in a bear hug with both arms around her, as if trying to keep her in the car, Zemek told the inquest.
"As I approached the (car) window it just went bang," Zemek said.
He used a hose to pour water on Clarke once she was out the car, telling her to roll on grass to extinguish the flames. Zemek said Clarke was "amazingly strong for what she went through".
Samantha Covey stopped her vehicle when she saw smoke and hosed down Clarke, who had severe burns everywhere except on her feet, trying to keep her calm and conscious. The first words the injured woman said was, "My kids, someone get my kids," Covey told the inquest.
Clarke said she couldn't believe Baxter had "done this". "I've got a damn DVO," she told Covey. "I couldn't stop him."
For years, Hannah Clarke didn't have bruises or broken bones. But her abuse was just as brutal. https://t.co/JxY0Z4ez38 pic.twitter.com/Q81JPOiSfr
— Mamamia (@Mamamia) February 27, 2020
Kerry Fernandez, who lived nearby spoke of hearing a chilling, "panicked mother scream" like nothing she had heard before. While on the phone to emergency services she saw Clarke's car come to a standstill before bursting into flames. While Fernandez used a fire extinguisher against the blaze that engulfed the car, Baxter, who was badly burnt, jumped in front of her, diving into the car.
It was only later witnesses realised he had emerged with a knife. Fernandez said she felt intimidated as it seemed the "muscled" man with a "deadpan" look was trying to stop her putting out the fire.
"He was growling or something. I felt like he was almost guarding the car," Fernandez said today.
Baxter then killed himself with the knife, while Clarke died in hospital that afternoon.
The inquest is expected to continue for two weeks before coroner Jane Bentley hears from emergency responders, friends of both Clarke and Baxter, and domestic violence services. Clarke's father Lloyd said outside court he hoped the inquest would determine how the system let his daughter and grandchildren down.
"(So) they can put new procedures in place ... so people won't have to go through this terrible thing."
"The greatest mum to walk the earth." Hannah Clarke's brother pays tribute to his sister. https://t.co/KDIsms3zQ2 pic.twitter.com/X3BSe0jaFm
— Mamamia (@Mamamia) March 9, 2020
- With AAP.
If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.
Advice and counselling for men concerned about their use of family violence: Men's Referral Service, 1300 766 491.
NSW Health confirms a 2-year-old child has died from COVID-19.
Parents are being urged to vaccinate their children for COVID-19 after the virus claimed the life of a healthy two-year-old Sydney child.
Deputy Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale announced the toddler's death on Monday, saying the child had no underlying health concerns.
"Sadly a previously well two-year-old child from Sydney died at The Children's Hospital at Westmead due to COVID-19 infection. NSW Health asks for the privacy of this child's family to be respected during this most difficult time."
In January a three-year-old boy with a rare genetic condition became the youngest person in NSW to die after contracting COVID-19. Both children were too young to be immunised but Dr Gale urged parents of children aged five and older to get them vaccinated "without delay", saying many children would now be eligible for their second dose.
ABC broadcaster and doctor Norman Swan described the child's death as a one-in-10,000 chance that had occurred because of the increasing prevalence of the virus in the community. It presented "a significant challenge" for paediatricians because vaccines were not yet available for children under five.
"It's extremely rare (but) there are treatments for COVID-19, maybe we'll start using them in children, even though the evidence is not strong," Dr Swan said on ABC TV.
- With AAP.
Hillsong Church apologises for the Brian Houston conduct breach.
The current interim global pastor of Hillsong Church - Phil Dooley - has apologised after the church’s Australian founder, Brian Houston, was found to have engaged in behaviour that breached its moral code of conduct for pastors.
In what can be described as an emotional online church service, Dooley said to viewers: “We as a leadership of Hillsong Church have repentant hearts in this season. I want to say we are sorry for anyone who has been a victim of any form of harassment. Some of us here ... understand the pain because you have experienced it yourselves, and others of us are doing our best to empathise with you. Where you’ve been hurt, we pray for healing, strength and courage to move forward in your life.”
In a public statement over the weekend, Hillsong’s global board also apologised saying leaders at the church had “sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years”.
As for what Houston’s breaches of conduct are related to, one of the complaints referred to him sending “inappropriate” text messages to a staff member while the second incident related to Houston going into a woman’s hotel room after a conference.
Hillsong, the global megachurch, has apologized “unreservedly” to two women who accused its Australian founder, Brian Houston, of inappropriate behavior. https://t.co/SkqKRAkBCr
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 20, 2022
The Kanye West moment that should be pulled from our screens.
Due to his recent online behaviour, Kanye West was temporarily suspended from Instagram and barred from performing at the Grammy Awards. After becoming the subject of Kanye’s online attention, TV host Trevor Noah has shared an ugly insight into what’s really going on in this “celebrity feud” and now we know why it’s a show we should not be watching.
It’s the news that has reality TV fans in shock, Vanderpump Rules stars Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz have announced their marriage is over. Here’s what you need to know.
Plus, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have given an interview to The New York Times ahead of the launch of their new movie. The interview was centred on how their new film is a make or break for the future of movies, but all we want to talk about is the wild way they first met.
Listen to The Spill now!
Flood survivors protest and dump debris outside PM's house.
A group of NSW flood survivors have dumped destroyed household goods outside the Prime Minister's official residence this morning to protest his handling of the flood crisis.
Up to nine Lismore residents travelled from the flood-ravaged northeastern town overnight with a tip truck of possessions to Kirribilli House in Sydney, to call out the government's response to the recent "climate fuelled mega-floods", the group said in a statement.
Organiser Naomi Hodgson told AAP the residents planned to dump the debris, which included children's toys, clothing, furniture and carpet destroyed by the flooding, "as long as we're not thwarted".
#BREAKING: Flood victims are staging a protest outside the Prime Minister's house in Sydney. #9Today pic.twitter.com/D21uRs14nS
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 20, 2022
A member of the group, Kate Stroud, said she sheltered in her roof cavity for six hours in the floods before being rescued by a civilian jet-ski and had lost everything.
"We've interrupted our clean up and travelled more than 700 kilometres to the Prime Minister's residence to hold him to account," she said in a statement.
"When [Prime Minister Scott] Morrison came to Lismore, he was too cowardly to front the community outside his curated media stunt, because he knows that he's again failed in a crisis and people are furious."
The federal government has come under fire for its handling of the floods, with Lismore residents claiming it was too slow to help deal with the clean-up efforts.
An extra $742 million in joint federal-NSW flood recovery funding was announced for northern NSW last week, bringing the total federal and state package to $1.7 billion.
- With AAP.
PM responds to Labor’s SA win, and all the news you need to know this morning.
It's Monday morning and if you woke up tired this morning you're not alone.
The good news? Over the weekend my colleague Shannen Findlay shared five tips on how she went from four hours sleep a night to a solid 8-hour snooze. And as someone who recently started the morning shift, I'll be following these steps religiously.
But before you get stuck into it, lets get you across the biggest news stories you need to know about this morning, Monday March 21.
1. PM responds to Labor's win in SA election.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded the South Australian election was a "significant victory" for Labor's Peter Malinauskas, who will be sworn in as premier today.
Labor swept to power in the state on Saturday under the leadership of Malinauskas after only one term in opposition, leaving outgoing premier Steven Marshall's loss the first for any incumbent state or territory government during the pandemic.
"It's a significant victory and they are elected with a very strong mandate to move forward with many issues that they've intended to take forward," he told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
South Australia's new Premier will be sworn in today following a landslide Labor victory in the state election, which could spell trouble for Scott Morrison. #9Today pic.twitter.com/G6lwOfST2v
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 20, 2022
But the prime minister was quick to turn the focus on his own upcoming battle in the federal election due in May.
"What I know is that Anthony Albanese is not Peter Malinauskas," he said.
"There is a big difference between Anthony Albanese as the federal Labor leader and what we see in the performance of some of his state colleagues."
But Wayne Swan, the former Labor treasurer and now ALP national president, said the SA result sends a clear message that voters have had enough of Liberal governments that are out of touch with their lives.
2. Male carer, 82, charged with murder of 60-year-old Sydney woman.
A male carer has been charged with the murder of a 60-year-old woman after her "emaciated" body was found in Sydney's southwest, police say.
Paramedics went to a Greenacre home on Friday morning to respond to a medical episode.
They alerted police after they found what authorities described as "the body of a severely-emaciated 60-year-old woman".
An 82yo man has been charged after the body of a severely-emaciated 60yo woman was found at a home in Greenacre. The man is alleged to be the woman's sole carer. He's due in court today. https://t.co/dvUOiCgnGB
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) March 18, 2022
Officers arrived and arrested an 82-year-old man, the woman's sole carer, taking him to Bankstown Police Station where they charged him with murder.
The Greenacre man was held in custody and was expected to face Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.
If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.
3. Central Europe struggles with the huge influx of Ukrainian refugees.
Officials in Central Europe have voiced concern they are reaching capacity to comfortably house some of the nearly 3.5 million refugees who have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion and are now camped in temporary accommodation.
Most of the Ukrainians have arrived at border points in Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary, data compiled by the UN refugee agency shows, putting pressure on the European Union countries now attempting to shelter them.
More than 1.5 million Ukrainian children have fled the country. Every single minute, 55 Ukrainian kids become refugees. It's almost every second since the beginning of the war. pic.twitter.com/7RoDtbaWau
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) March 20, 2022
Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said on Sunday the government would seek to extend a state of emergency to deal with the influx, with officials trying to relocate new arrivals to cities outside the capital Prague to ease the pressure.
"The Czech Republic is balancing on the edge of capacities where we are able to provide comfortable living conditions," Rakusan said during a television debate. "Living in gyms, sleeping bags, or campsites is not good for life."
The Czech parliament also approved three laws this week making it easier for Ukrainian refugees to access to work, health insurance, and allow schools to raise class capacities.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said seven humanitarian corridors would open on Sunday to enable civilians to leave frontline areas.
4. NSW paramedics set for industrial action today.
NSW paramedics will take industrial action for 24 hours today, refusing to leave their posts to fill gaps at other ambulance stations.
Paramedics across the state will knock back "all staff movements" at stations, as part of union efforts to improve emergency responder staffing and pay.
"We're taking action to demand a better resourced service. We want a fairer workplace for Paramedics, and improved coverage and care for our communities," Australian Paramedics Association NSW president Chris Kastelan said on Sunday.
Tomorrow, Paramedics are REFUSING staff movements across NSW.
— APA NSW (@APANSWOFFICIAL) March 20, 2022
We'll still care for patients and answer 000 calls. But we won't travel from our designated station to help plug roster holes elsewhere.
We're fighting for a fairer workplace, and better coverage for our communities! pic.twitter.com/HVctelAruK
The union is pushing for an additional 1500 paramedics that it says are needed to turn around deteriorating ambulance response times across the state. It also wants a pandemic payment, and a pay rise of more than 2.5 per cent.
NSW Ambulance is expected to meet with the union at the Industrial Relations Commission on Monday morning in a bid to resolve the dispute.
The action commenced as day shift crews clocked in from 6.15am.
5. Family and friends bid Shane Warne farewell.
Shane Warne's family and friends have bid the cricketing legend farewell at a private funeral in Melbourne.
Warne's three children, Jackson, Brooke and Summer, and parents Keith and Brigette, were joined by about 80 guests to say their final goodbyes at St Kilda Football Club on Sunday.
The gathering featured a who's who of the cricketing world, with retired Australian Test captains Mark Taylor, Allan Border and Michael Clarke attending along with former England skipper Michael Vaughan, as well as Warne's long time teammates Mark Waugh and Ian Healy.
Shane Warne's family and friends paid tribute to the cricketer at his private funeral in Melbourne on Sunday.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 20, 2022
The service was held at St Kilda Football Club, the AFL side Warne supported.
Guests were invited to wear St Kilda scarves and a pair of them were draped across Warne's coffin as it was driven around the oval to the sound of the 1970s Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes hit The Time of My Life.
A state memorial will take place at the MCG on March 30, where the wider public will be able to pay their respects after Warne, 52, died of a suspected heart attack earlier this month.
That's the biggest news stories you need to know this morning. We'll be back to bring you more of what women are talking about throughout the day.
- With AAP.
$7 for a coffee?! Why our cost of living is out of control.
As petrol prices continue to soar past $2 a litre, there are now reports that we could be paying up to $7 for a coffee by the end of the year! So what is going on with the cost of living in Australia, and why is everything getting so expensive?
The Quicky speaks to an expert economist to find out the reasons behind the price surges on everyday products, how long we can expect big bills at the checkout, and whether the cost of anything is going to come down?
Feature Image: Facebook/AAP.