Senior Constable Andre Thaler, who gave crucial evidence in Brett Forte case, stood down and charged with trespass

A police officer who gave crucial evidence in the murder of colleague Brett Forte has been stood down and charged with trespass.

A Police command post at Gatton where police officer Brett Forte was allegedly fatally shot by Rick Maddison.

A police officer who gave crucial evidence in the murder of colleague Brett Forte has been stood down and charged with trespass.

The Courier-Mail has confirmed Senior Constable Andre Thaler has been charged with trespass and will next appear in court on December 20.

His first mention in court was today.

It’s unclear what the allegations relate to, however are understood to be in relation to his work as an officer this year. He was stood down on November 15.
“Police are aware a 48-year-old male senior constable from the Southern Region is facing the Toowoomba Magistrates Court today, November 27, charged with trespass,” police said in a statement.

“As this matter is currently before the court, Queensland Police are unable to comment further.”

It’s understood he is going to contest the charge and the matter has been adjourned until submissions are made to prosecutors by his legal team.

The police officer gave evidence into the shooting death of his colleague Brett Forte, who was gunned downed by criminal Ricky Maddison in May 2017.

Sen Const Forte was killed on Wallers Rd, an isolated country road in the Lockyer Valley.

Senior Constable Brett Forte

Police officer Andre Thaler on Wallers Rd

Sen Const Thaler told the inquest he had been on Wallers Rd 11 days earlier and had coincidently been going bushwalking and birdwatching on his day off.

The officer was clutching his police-issued iPad when he was confronted and photographed by property owner Adam Byatt.

The walk was just 11 days before his tactical crime squad colleague was gunned down by Maddison who lured police to the road in a low-speed chase before he ambushed them and sprayed their vehicle with automatic gunfire.

As Sen Const Thaler walked up the road, which was too steep and only accessible by 4WD, he heard a car idling and went and spoke to a man sitting inside.

Sen Const Thaler told the inquest the man told him there was “hillbillies on these hills” and warned him to stay off his property.

The moment gunman Ricky Maddison shot at police. Photo Supplied

He said he was suspicious so took note of the man’s number plate.

He went and made an intelligence report on his day off.

Later, Sen Const Thaler would determine the man was Adam Byatt, Maddison’s best friend.

Mr Byatt also wasn’t sure who Thaler was and told the inquest he took a photo of him and his car and sent it to Maddison.

Eerily, the conversation took place just outside Byatt’s family property – where Maddison was hiding from authorities who were searching for him.

Mr Byatt told the inquest he did not realise until later that the man on the road near his property was a police officer.

Speaking of his interaction with Mr Byatt, Sen Const Thaler told the inquest he walked 300m from his car and could hear a car idling and heard a chain being removed from a gate and turned around to see a man watching him.

“We sort of looked at each other,” Sen Const Thaler said.

“He was intently watching me.”

The car then pulled up next to him and he said the man was immediately confrontational.

“Words to the effect of, what are you doing?” Sen Const Thaler said.

“I just looked at him and said, ‘What do you mean?’ ”

Sen Const Thaler said the man responded: “Do you see this land on the left here? Make sure you don’t go on it.”

He told the inquest the man referred to the land again and he asked why the man was following him.

Sen Const Thaler said the man changed his demeanour and said: “That’s my land, make sure you don’t go on it.”

As the police officer was walking back to his car he said the man warned him to be careful and said there were “hillbillies on these hills mate”.

“I wouldn’t want to see anything happen to you, they’ve got guns, similar to that,” he said of the conversation. Sen Const Thaler said the man was “really suspicious of me” and during the interaction he thought there was “more going on here than meets the eye”.

However he said prior to going there he had no police intelligence.

He wasn’t aware Gatton police had a separate investigation into reports of automatic gunfire on the same road and had placed a camera outside a property there, one day earlier.

Sen Const Thaler told the inquest he was suspicious of the man and the property after the encounter and filed an intelligence report that night. Sen Const Thaler remained on the road for the encounter and did not enter any properties.

When questioned at the inquest if he was there for “purpose of gathering intelligence of the layout of a property suspected of being related in any way to Ricky Maddison” Sen Const Thaler answered: “No.”

Originally published as Senior Constable Andre Thaler, who gave crucial evidence in Brett Forte case, stood down and charged with trespass