Brave domestic violence survivor takes the law into her own hands | 60 Minutes Australia

when Hannah Clark's estranged husband murdered her and their three young children in Brisbane in February it was unthinkable to most of us that someone could be that evil or brutal he doused his family in petrol and set them alight the crime highlighted the danger and complexity of domestic violence as does the story of the woman you're about to meet Jackie Barker is a victim of frightening abuse made worse because police refused to take action but she didn't give up instead Jackie bravely fought back by launching a private criminal prosecution against her ex-partner [Music] Jackie Barker and Cynthia Dennis a like-minded women both love the sea the outdoors and for a while and at different times the same man but they also share memories of intimidation and threats of violence at the hands of that man Marc Jacobs when Jacobs loses his temper I was frozen with frozen to the spot that's the moment I thought I was going to Danny I just don't want people to feel like I do we don't have to live like this you shouldn't have to put up with so much abuse and control and threats whether it's physical or mental it's just not right Cynthia was Marc Jacobs first wife and then Jackie his partner for four years until domestic abuse saw her in the relationship but it was just the start of a new battle which would see Jackie pursue justice and uncover a police culture of disinterest and disbelief secret phone recordings exposing the truth behind police in action if you've got no evidence other than mr. Jacobs then I believe that you're being biased but Jackie would not be coward rare and costly move she took the law into her own hands Jackie my client was extremely persistent strong brave an incredible woman that wanted to see justice done Jackie's experience was made even more shocking by the recent murder of Hannah Clark and her three young children it was a crime that shook the nation their lives were tragically extinguished by estranged husband and father Rowan Baxter when he does petrol on them and set them alight there were many people close to me who contacted me and said you know that could have been you their relationship started in 2011 Jackie a mom of two found Marc Jacobs a father of two fun and dependable she admired him greatly for his work as a lifeguard I never believed that he would be capable of attacking me you know he was the lifeguard hero he was the person whose job it was to save lives but over the next four years the relationship became unpredictable and frightening on Friday the 20th of November 2015 it imploded Jackie and Jacobs met at home to talk about their future together but it became hostile almost immediately he stood right over me he was right here and he's he's a big guy and it was at that moment that I felt that he was going to do something to me and then it turned physical but it's Jackie who struck out she says she did so out of fear it was as though his mask had finally fallen and I hit him and the jaw and ran and put the kitchen bench between us why do you think you hit him I hit him to give me enough time to run and get myself and her in a safe place in his police interview Marc Jacobs says Jackie provoked his violent reaction as much as Jacobs tried to brush off his outbursts to police it's what he did next that truly terrified Jackie he leaves the kitchen and this time returns from the garage with a jerrican filled with petrol so he's about two meters or so away from me and all I remember is him having a red plastic fuel container in his hand I remember the black lid being thrown off onto the floor I remember one big swing of his arm I remember just turning my face and the fuel hit me on the chest and splashed up into my face and my hair now soaked in petrol the danger Jackie faces is horrifyingly apparent with Jacobs next move he opened the cupboards above the stove and reached up for Elijah and he said I'm gonna burn this place down and then he threatened me with Elijah in what way he knelt down and he held the lyre about 20 centimeters from me looking up at me looking straight in my eyes and that's the moment I thought I was going to die and I said don't be an idiot and he dropped Elijah onto the floor and I think that's what saved my life that you somehow reached him with those words when Mark was picked up by police later that night he confessed to wanting to burn their house down but in his official record of interview six months later he couldn't remember saying that and nor could he adequately explain why he would bring petrol into the kitchen [Music] bed down with the lighter sank that lot of words chillingly Jacob's first wife Cynthia Dennis has heard these words too many times before he often said he would burn the house down before I got any money out of the house there was all the other threats daily we were always on high alert yeah as time went on more and more eggshells I would just got quieter and quieter as the years went on it was just safer it must have felt like you were disappearing yeah definitely Cynthia and Jacobs were together for a decade and have two children like Jackie's experienced Cynthia says the relationship with Jacobs progressively getting more volatile where he would belittle her throw her against the wall the breaking point came when Cynthia says he dragged her to the bed pinned his knees to her chest and put his hands around her throat what did you think was going to happen to you in that moment I actually remember thinking with no exaggeration because I remember it like yesterday I looked up and I saw his eyes just his pupils just go smaller and smaller I thought he's gonna murder me like he just changed I saw this flash go across his eyes did you go to the police no I didn't even think about it because I didn't think it was not much I just didn't know because we were married if they'd really care but it was enough for her to end the marriage afterward she says Marc Jacobs started a campaign as punishment including stalking and trespassing his actions so frightened and infuriated Cynthia she did finally seek help from the local noosa police at least half a dozen times since I left my ex my life has just been a living hell like I thought I had a crappy existence and marriage and it was horrible but to have what I had after I left him and to be unheard and just the dismissiveness of it all it's just the worst and it's fearful and it's scary and it changes your life because you you're not living freely you're just pretty much surviving every day are you living freely now it's getting better but one way of coping with it was I thought I've got children to him so maybe that's making it worse so I thought maybe I've got like a 20 year sentence and one day I'll be out of jail and I'll have my life back it's a very bleak way of looking at it isn't it yeah but in some ways it helped because I gave myself a timeline coming up we admitted to them that he wanted to burn the house down I thought they've got an ignition why wouldn't investigators hurry the book at Marc Jacobs they're really not interested in prosecuting domestic violence cases will these secret tapes reveal what they really thought should there be a problem with new suppose that means be investigated that's next caller go ahead you have the police where is your emergency [Music] everywhere my partner after smashing up the house her partner Marc Jacobs has gone one terrifying step further he poured petrol or in the kitchen he says he wants to burn the house down Handy's thrown petrol and has a lighter the petrol has splashed onto Jackie's chest and face seven minutes later police and ambulance arrived I remember a feeling of like rising panic in me and really just terror police collect Jackie's petrol soaked clothes before she's taken to hospital complaining of burning skin and a constricted throat while Jackie isn't sure of what her legal options are she makes it clear to police in this bedside interview she wants Jacobs held accountable but I thought the choices out there I obviously want him to be responsible and I have to feel safe my kids yeah okay boys are doing stuff according to Jackie's barrister Clem Van de Wiggin Jacobs told police everything they needed to know to charge him that night the police had intercepted Jacobs on the night and they observed him to be aggressive smelling a petrol and that he admitted to them that he wanted to burn the house down because he was sick of it anyway I thought they've got an admission but it would take police another six months and only at Jackie's insistence before they even formally question Jacobs by then he denied any earlier admissions to police finally in July 2016 Jacobs pleaded guilty to willful damage for the destruction he'd wreaked on their home and was fined $1,500 but for his threats using petrol and a lighter there was nothing no charge to answer it was devastating I really felt that the institution that I believed was there to protect me and my children by not acting was actually protecting him Jackie Pam Jackie wanted to get to the bottom of why police are unwilling to charge her ex-partner despite his dangerous behavior he obviously had the actions and you obviously had the fear she enlisted barrister Clem Vander Wigan to help investigate and to push for prosecution this is a phone call I'm about to make claims approach may have been unconventional he secretly recorded his conversation with the senior police officer who was reviewing Jackie's complaint about police in action did you say the ambulance report that was made on the night by the impaired paramedic who attended in the first instance he on his report states that female was doused in petrol and threatened to be set alight never mind the ambulance report never mind Jackie's petrol dust clothes or even Jacobs admission to police of bringing petrol into the house the senior police officer seems to give more weight to Jacobs subsequent account then to Jackies there's no evidence in the ambulance report of her being intoxicated where's your evidence that she was intoxicated other than mr. Jacobs because if you've got no evidence other than mr. Jacobs then I believe that you're being biased to my mind he wasn't looking at the facts the objective facts he was relying on she said this he said that in other words there are conflicting versions and for that reason I thought he was biased so commissioner is domestic violence Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll says domestic violence sadly remains the biggest caller for police she's heard Jackie's distressed call for help and sympathizers with her but says it was the law not police who let her down does it what are you that we're not all jumping up and down saying he brought in a jerrycan of petrol I mean I don't mean to be crass about this but did she have to be heard before the police would act again oh definitely not and that is very concerning but I also know the police actually made sure that she was safe on the night when the triple-zero have in terms of making here accountable in terms of teaching him sorry mate but this is just not on you don't do this there was no and we we always want to keep the victims safe and he should be held accountable I am just of the view that the decisions were made purely around the legislation and also the sufficiency of evidence certainly the police prosecutor at the time gave very little chance of winning a conviction against Jacobs if it went to court incredulously he said it would be impossible to prove that by bringing in petrol Jacobs intended to alarm Jacqui Barker can you explain to me why that would not be alarming the difficulty I have is that is one of the bones of contention I understand about the evidence about the intention of the lighter but I cannot go into the intricacies of that one single case I am NOT the officer that made the decision at the time and nor the officer that six months down the track made the decision not to take them out of Ford the prosecutor says it's also clear he placed the means to ignite the petrol at her feet arguably giving her the decision to light the house I mean that's a nonsense isn't it giving her the decision the prosecutor said that the prosecutor said that he would argue this in court as a defense then he's put the lighter at her feet yeah giving her the choice to burn the house down or not look that might not be the way that I would see it but obviously that's a statement that prosecutor has made when I look back and say could we have done it differently I think you can always do things differently if we have heard her as a result of those decisions I apologize for that I think they're really not interested in prosecuting domestic violence cases and you know this culture is coming from you know the senior police prosecutor in the Sunshine Coast these senior policemen setting the culture and the standards for all the police in that area all too aware of that culture is Cynthia Dennis Mark Jacobs first wife she too says she had reason to seek protection from noosa police against Jacobs and says she too was let down do you know how many times you either visited the police station or rang the police to tell them about him would you have a figure for that um at least six or seven enough to make me feel like can I ring them again on one occasion after she and Jacobs had separated he barged into her house to escape him Cynthia locked herself in her bedroom she says Jacobs then tried to break in by using a knife on the lock I called the police because I was frightened and he'd come into my home where I live broken and tried to get into my bedroom and I was just told sure it's not a lover's TIFF it's like I've left him how did that make you feel I'm hopeless just hopeless I didn't there's nothing I just felt there was nothing I could do like about him could there be a problem with noosa police if that's the case that needs to be investigated because I expect my officers to have utmost concern for the safety of victims if there is a cultural issue with my officers in terms of domestic violence that also needs to be investigated because I will not accept that the organization will not accept that and certainly the community will not accept that coming up that took a huge toll on my family not giving in hopefully highlight the significant failings he takes on the job it's not an easy task don't take out a private criminal prosecution no the police wouldn't not once do they bother to speak to Jackie chef's next on 60 minutes Jackie Barca feels she's been let down twice firstly by her former partner Marc Jacobs who in 2015 smashed up their home and threatening to burn it down splashed petrol on her and secondly by police who refused to act against him they see the lie sure they see the petrol and the perpetrator makes a verbal admission of intending to burn the house down while I'm in it if the police cannot bring a successful prosecution against a perpetrator in those circumstances and they're in fact unwilling to do so then what hope is there for women and children [Music] Jackie's battle was now with Queensland police her complaint was that the investigation was flawed and the police were not objective or impartial the complaint went to the CCC the crime and corruption Commission and then on to police ethical standards which found there was no bias and police acted appropriately but barrister Clem Vander Wigan has little faith in police investigating themselves in seeing a review of Jackie's case what shocked you the most well throughout the whole investigation process the review the complaint that we made to the CCC and the subsequent investigation by ethical standards not once not once do they bother to speak to Jackie police in action would not stop Jackie demanding justice so in July last year four years after that shocking encounter Jackie resorted to the only Avenue left to her she took out a private criminal prosecution where Marc Jacobs was charged with threatening violence Jackie was effectively now doing the work of Queensland Police it's not an easy task is it to take out a private criminal prosecution no it was very lengthy it was expensive it was exhausting and it took a huge toll on on my family on my children and our quality of life courageously single-mindedly and quite literally jackie took the law into her own hands and the trial of Marc Jacobs was set for the fifth of july 2019 with Clem Vander Wigan prosecuting the case what do you have to do to bring a private criminal prosecution in this country well you simply go down to the local court or in this case the the magistrate's court here in Queensland and you file the complaint do you think you should have to do that as a private citizen no as a private citizen no you shouldn't have to do that most prosecution's carried out by the police thanks to Jackie's persistence Marc Jacobs was now on trial for threatening violence a crime that could see him go to jail for two years did you assault Jackie in any way was the petrol in any other way did any petrol girl who was that in the struggle I'm not sure whether I intentionally throw petrol on to them even Jacobs finally acknowledged his actions were likely to have caused fear gave up the fight and pleaded guilty but he denied that he intended to inflict violence against her nor did he intend to splasher with petrol which the magistrate accepted Jacobs guilty plea to threatening violence was well regarded by the magistrate who instead of sending him to jail sentence Jacobs to 120 hours community service and agreed not to record a conviction despite that to Jacky this was a victory Marc Jacobs had finally admitted to causing her distress and fear so was it worth it yes yes it was worth it to know that Jacobs had pleaded guilty was a really good feeling because all along he denied and minimized his abuse I really had to take the responsibility for keeping myself and my family safe on my own shoulders but for Jackie the fear goes on it's very frightening and it's also exhausting she's been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and she and her children have moved interstate to an undisclosed address to feel safer [Music] even so she'd do it all again her legal action was never just about her but about making accountable perpetrators and police alike and what about in terms of changing the police attitude in that area do you think that your private prosecution has done anything to change that view not the prosecution itself but the exposure of the fact that the police didn't bring a prosecution and an individual woman a victim of family violence had to take those steps will hopefully highlight you know the significant failings in policing domestic violence is it only worth [Music] if this story raises issues and you need to speak with someone call 1-800 respect or 1-800 737 732 hello I'm Tara brown thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our Channel you can also download the 9 now app for full episodes and other exclusive 60 minutes content

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

Views: 461,551

Rating: 4.7205949 out of 5

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Charles Wooley, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett, Tom Steinfort, Sarah Abo, domestic violence, domestic violence survivor, dv victim, dv in australia, jacqui barker, cynthia dennis, mark jacobs, mark jacobs lifesaver, surf live saving queensland, queensland police, noose police, end domestic violence, private criminal trial, refuse to prosecute ex partner, hannah clarke, hannah baxter, threatened with petrol, petrol and a lighter

Id: N5YDzmSxsvY

Length: 29min 0sec (1740 seconds)

Published: Sun May 24 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/AutoModerator]

[1] - Please read the FDS Handbook and Wiki before commenting. Repeated comments demonstrating lack of basic sub knowledge will result in a temporary or permanent ban.
[2] - Please REPORT any comments that do not follow the sub rules. If you do not report it, the mods will not see it.
[3] - This sub is FEMALE ONLY. All comments from men will be removed and you will be banned. So if you’ve got an XY, don’t reply. DO NOT REPLY TO MALE TROLLS!! Please DOWNVOTE and REPORT immediately.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/mistlylotpot]

It’s a serious issue here and in the media lately a lot. 21 women in 21 days are the stats I saw yesterday. Horrific.

[u/curlygirl507]

Also, I'm American and not trying to single Australia out for having a domestic violence issue - it certainly happens all over the world. More episodes on the subject of women's oppression:

• Chanel Miller: Emily Doe in the Brock Turner sexual assault trial speaks out (US)
• Brave Aisha's daring escape from oppressive life in Qatar
• Brave sexual assault survivor fights back against her attackers (South Korea)
• Explainer: Where is the missing Princess of Dubai? (UAE)
• Mother and daughter escape Egypt after being trapped for three years

[u/[deleted]]

And anti-feminist/anti-woman men out there still keep on saying that statistically, women are the ones leading the bigger percentage of domestic violence or starting the violence...

They will twist and lie and deny with all their might, instead of realizing how fucked up it is that murderers and rapists exist and try to stop it.