The silencing of Susie: Court, police close ranks to gag gunned-down hero Brett Forte’s wife

Five years after police officer Brett Forte was murdered by a crazed gunman on the outskirts of Toowoomba, his wife is continuing her fight to read a victim impact statement at his inquest after it was deemed “not relevant”.

The widow of murdered police officer Brett Forte has been told her views on her husband’s death are “irrelevant” as she continues her fight to read a victim impact statement at his inquest.

Five years after the father-of-three was murdered by a crazed gunman in an ambush on the outskirts of Toowoomba, Brett’s family say they are “disgusted” by what they believe is an exercise in “a … covering”.

The inquest into Senior Constable Brett Forte’s murder was put on hold six months ago after his wife, Senior Constable Susie Forte, attempted to read aloud a 9000 word statement – the contents of which have been suppressed by State Coroner Terry Ryan.

Susie Forte at the inquest into her husband’s death at Toowoomba. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Courier-Mail can reveal in that time, counsel assisting the Coroner Rhiannon Helsen, has argued in a written submission that Susie’s statement should remain a secret because her views are “not relevant” and made allegations against police.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has agreed a redacted version could be read and the police liaison officer assigned to the family has said it should not be made public “in any way whatsoever”.

While The Courier-Mail cannot reveal the contents of Susie’s statement, she previously told the court its contents were “the absolute truth” and “I’m being silenced yet again”.

Rhiannon Helsen is Senior Counsel Assisting Coroners Court of Queensland.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture: Brad Fleet

Susie is both the widow of Brett and a Toowoomba police officer who investigated gunman Ricky Maddison in the lead up to her husband’s murder.

“It’s a boys’ club,” Brett’s brother Luke said of the police involved.

“Isn’t the whole purpose of the inquest to determine how the QPS can improve its processes so this does not happen again?

“Who better to speak to that than Susie? She’s Brett’s wife and part of the investigation. Who better to speak to it?

“Susie is our voice, she’s Brett’s voice. Brett can’t speak. He’s dead. He lost his life for the QPS and now they won’t allow his widow to have a voice.

“How can she grieve or move forward in any capacity if they won’t let her speak?”

Senior Constable Brett Forte.

Brett was gunned down by paranoid fugitive Ricky Maddison five years ago tomorrow after being led into an ambush on Wallers Rd in the Lockyer Valley.

Maddison was later killed by elite Special Emergency Response Team officers following a 20-hour siege.

Susie had brought Maddison to the attention of her colleagues in her role as domestic violence liaison officer after he’d made threats against his former partner.

Both she and Brett’s police partner, Senior Constable Cath Nielsen, have alleged they were bullied after asking questions about whether his death was preventable.

Police officers from Toowoomba have been questioned at the inquest about whether they suspected Maddison was hiding out on Wallers Rd and whether they knew about an investigation into reports of automatic gunfire.

Residents in the vicinity of Wallers Rd had told police they’d heard someone firing an automatic weapon in the bush – with one local even providing a recording of the noise.

Screengrabs of police footage of gunman Ricky Maddison.

Susie and Sen Const. Nielsen believe some officers were in a position to have warned Brett not to follow Maddison along the isolated Wallers Rd during a low-speed pursuit.

The inquest has also heard that Detective Senior Sergeant Fiona Hinshelwood, formerly of the Ethical Standards Command, filed official police complaints against both women following their evidence to the inquest.

The Courier-Mail understands Susie’s legal representatives, Howden Saggers Lawyers, are now working on a pro-bono basis after the Queensland Police Union ended her funding.

State Coroner Terry Ryan is still considering whether Susie will be allowed to read aloud her victim impact statement, which is currently the subject of a non-publication order.

Lawyers representing various police officers say some of the material is defamatory and untested.

Ricky Maddison shoots at police on the day of the murder.

Susie later supplied the court with a version of her statement that had names redacted.

But counsel assisting the Coroner Rhiannon Helsen has submitted that Susie’s statement is “largely irrelevant and outside the intended scope of the inquest” and should not be accepted in either form.

“In my submission, given the information Ms Forte has provided … is largely irrelevant and outside the scope of the inquest, I would oppose any application for Ms Forte to be called,” Ms Helsen said in her written submission.

“She can provide no relevant or admissible evidence that would be of assistance to the court in reaching the necessary findings …

The front cover of the program for the funeral of Senior Constable Brett Forte in Toowoomba on June 7, 2017. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

“The statement in its original and abridged form should not be received by the court.

“(A victim impact statement) is not a mechanism to be used by a deceased’s family member to ventilate irrelevant and unsupported opinions about any matters they may choose.”

Ms Helsen said Susie should submit a “proper” victim impact statement for “consideration” by her as the counsel assisting “that relates to Sen Const. Forte’s life and the impact his death has had on his loved ones”.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll submitted the statement should undergo “further redactions” before being submitted to the court.

“It would appear from the submissions by Ms Forte’s counsel that there were avenues to achieve a resolution in relation to Ms Forte’s unsworn statement,” she wrote.

“The Commissioner accepts that Ms Forte has a right to provide a statement to the inquest about her husband Sen Const. Brett Forte’s life and the impact that his death has had on his many loved family members and friends.

“However, the opportunity afforded should not be expanded to allow Ms Forte to attempt to introduce unsupported allegations against the Queensland Police Service and serving members …”

A submission from Detective Inspector Dave Hickey, who the inquest heard was the family liaison officer, said Susie’s statement was a “cynical backdoor attempt by Mrs Forte to air her grievances” and it should be “prohibited from being disseminated in any way whatsoever”.

Originally published as The silencing of Susie: Court, police close ranks to gag gunned-down hero Brett Forte’s wife