Mother defends cop killer Ricky Maddison despite extensive rap sheet

The man who killed Senior Constable Brett Forte had a brutal criminal history spanning over 20 years. But his mother insists he was pushed to breaking point.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article included a photograph of a man who is not Ricky Maddison. The Courier Mail sincerely apologises for the error.

Cop killer Ricky Maddison had an extensive and brutal criminal history spanning over 20 years, involving repeated assaults, domestic violence and a rape allegation – but spent next to no time in prison.

Despite this, the crazed gunman’s grieving mother insists her son was pushed to breaking point, and that the murder of Toowoomba police officer Senior Constable Brett Forte was not his fault.

Maddison was on the run from police following a domestic violence incident when he shot and killed Sen Const. Forte with an automatic weapon east of Toowoomba on May 29, 2017.

He was killed hours later by Special Emergency Response Team operatives.

Footage of Ricky Maddison opening fire on police

The family of Sen Const. Brett Forte wrote a submission to the commission of inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic and family violence, because his murder occurred while police were responding to an incident of domestic violence.

Maddison’s criminal history paints a picture of a man regularly brought before the courts but rarely punished.

In a brief audio interview with Channel 7’s Spotlight program, Narelle Maddison said her family was grieving as much as the Forte family and that her son was “pushed too far”.

“You can only push some people to breaking point and once they break, it’s not their fault,” she told the program.

Maddison’s criminal history dates back to 1996, when he appeared in court charged with production and possession of a dangerous drug. No conviction was recorded.

His behaviour escalated in the years that followed, and in late 2000, he came to the attention of police for the first of many occasions involving domestic violence.

In 2003, Maddison attacked a man and was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. No evidence was presented in court and the matter was dropped.

The following year he assaulted another man and was charged with grievous bodily harm. He was given a fine.

In 2007, a woman approached police to say that she’d been forced to use her knees to push Maddison from her after repeatedly telling him to stop during a sexual encounter.

Slain police officer Brett Forte

She later decided against making an official police complaint.

Also that year, Maddison assaulted a man, resulting in him needing surgery.

The man later withdrew the complaint but Maddison was convicted of assault occasioning bodily harm and was sentenced to six months’ jail, suspended for three years.

In 2008, he was charged torture, deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm and other offences following a horrific attack on a woman.

He was released on bail after 23 days and was later sentenced to time served.

In the years that followed, Maddison again bashed two men in separate incidents. Both victims withdrew their complaints.

In 2015, a woman made a complaint of domestic violence following a horrific incident in which he poured petrol over her and threatened to set her alight. She later withdrew it, telling police she was terrified of the repercussions from Maddison.

On March 12, 2017, the same woman called triple-0 to report that Maddison had fired a gun in her home.

The following month, after police had issued a warrant for Maddison’s arrest, the gunman opened fire on officers after leading them down a remote road outside of Toowoomba.

Originally published as Mother defends cop killer Ricky Maddison despite extensive rap sheet