Brett Forte inquest live updates: Cop’s boss encountered gunman in pub toilets

Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut, who was Senior Constable Brett Forte’s boss, faces another barrage of questions over his actions during the initial stages of the pursuit of gunman Ricky Maddison.

David Funch, acting for widow Susan Forte, asks why Senior Sergeant Stahlhut sent Sergeant Peter Jenkins over to the police communications room soon after the pursuit of Maddison had started.

Senior Sergeant Stahlhut admits he never previously sent someone over to the police communications room during a pursuit in his 20-year-plus career.

Mr Funch says the police communications officer in-charge of the chase, Sergeant Ian Douglas, had a reputation for calling off pursuits early and Sergeant Jenkins told Sergeant Douglas in the police communications room: “This bloke is bad and we need to get him.”

Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut, who was Senior Constable Brett Forte’s boss, is questioned over why he did not alert his officers while they were chasing Maddison, that they were heading towards an area where there had been automatic gunfire reports in the recent prior weeks.

David Funch, acting for Senior Constable Brett Forte’s widow Susan, goes on the attack.

Mr Funch: “Was there any failing on your part that contributed to Brett Forte’s death?”

Senior Sergeant Stahlhut: “Under the circumstances, no.”

Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut, the boss of the late Senior Constable Brett Forte, is grilled over alleged comments made to the slain officer’s widow, Susan Forte, and the slain officer’s on-duty partner, Senior Constable Catherine Nielsen, after the 2017 tragedy.

David Funch, the lawyer acting for Susan Forte, asks Senior Sergeant Stahlhut whether he told Mrs Forte after the death of her husband: “If you would have left the investigation up to us detectives, Brett would still be alive.”

Senior Sergeant Stahlhut denies saying this.

Mr Funch asks whether Senior Sergeant Stahlhut told Senior Constable Nielsen: “I don’t want Susie Forte around any Tactical Crime Squad personnel because she makes them feel uncomfortable.”

Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut, the boss of slain officer Brett Forte, recounts the day the officer was gunned down by Ricky Maddison.

It started with the gunman’s phone call to police.

Senior Constable Forte answered the phone, told Senior Sergeant Stahlhut “Maddison’s on the phone” and he transferred the call to Sergeant Peter Jenkins.

They put the call on speaker, started recording it and Senior Sergeant Stahlhut told Sergeant Jenkins to “keep Maddison talking” while local officers started searching public phone boxes because it was police’s belief Maddison was using one to make calls.

The boss of slain policeman Brett Forte believes he met Ricky Maddison in a local pub toilet and was later told about Maddison having an automatic weapon.

Darling Downs Tactical Crime Squad officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut was at the Highfields Tavern on July 22, 2007, with a relative when he saw a person who he recognised because they were under police investigation for serious offences.

Senior Sergeant Stahlhut later went into the toilet and was approached by the person under investigation and another person who identified himself as “Rick”.

“We had a conversation for a period of time [five to 10 minutes], it centred around that person’s situation and using me as a sounding board for what options they had, because they were facing significant charges and significant jail time,” he tells the inquest.

“Rick was around 35-40, he was Caucasian, solid and a muscular build.”