Brett Forte’s widow and the woman she was trying to save speak out

The widow of slain Queensland cop Brett Forte and the woman she was trying to save have spoken out in another bombshell for the state’s under-fire police service.

The widow of a Queensland cop shot dead by crazed gunman Ricky Maddison has told of her “heartless” treatment at the hands of a “broken” Queensland Police Service as the killer’s former partner recalled preparing to die after he doused her in petrol.

The cruel twists of fate which saw Senior Constable Brett Forte gunned down outside Toowoomba by the very man his police officer wife Susan was trying to bring to justice through her role in a domestic violence unit have been laid bare in an inquest into the 2017 tragedy.

Now, a series of explosive interviews to air on Channel 7’s Spotlight program on Sunday night are set to rock the QPS once more, with Mrs Forte telling reporter Denham Hitchcock she was prepared to risk her job to bring the truth to light.

Bernadette, Susan Forte and Catherine Nielsen share their stories of Brett Forte’s death at the hands of Ricky Maddison. Picture: David Martinelli

Her startling revelations come as Maddison’s long-suffering former partner Bernadette breaks her silence, for the first time lifting the lid on the horror of life with the man who would ultimately be shot dead by tactical police after a lengthy siege the day after he murdered Sen Const. Forte.

Mrs Forte, who was Berndatte’s DV liaison officer, described the QPS’ handling of the tragedy as “a slap in the face”, while admitting her stinging critique could cost her her job.

Susan Forte with her husband, Toowoomba police officer Brett Forte, who was shot and killed by Ricky Maddison in 2017. Picture: supplied

“As a senior constable, (you’re told) know my place and be quiet, don’t talk, your husband’s dead, deal with it,” she said.

“Heartless. And I’ve got to think of that every day going home with the kids, knowing that Brett’s death has not mattered to them at all – it’s like a slap in the face saying, “we don’t believe you”.

“And I would be risking my job doing this because they don’t want me to talk … they want to silence me, but I’m telling the truth.”

Bernadette relived the harrowing moment she thought her own life would end as Maddison doused her in petrol.

“In my mind, I thought, “Well, that’s it, I’m gone, I’m done”,” she said.

“I do remember saying to him though, “Please, I love my children. I want to be here for my kids.

“And yeah, I thought that was the night and that was the time that I was going to die.”

Bernadette fought back tears as she spoke of the tragic chain of events that led to her violent partner killing the husband of the very woman who had been trying to protect her.

Cop killer Ricky Maddison.

“Of all people …(it) shouldn’t be anyone, but yeah of all people, that’s really cruel,” she said.

Senior Constable Catherine Nielsen, Forte’s partner on the day of the shooting, last year told the inquest that some of her police colleagues made her life “a living hell” for raising concerns about the police approach to capturing Maddison and the fallout that followed.

She told Spotlight the tactical crime squad had been her “home away from home”.

“I considered myself lucky to work with them, but (afterwards) I had to leave,” she said.

Spotlight: Ambush airs at 8.40pm Sunday on Channel 7 and 7plus