TIMELINE OF EVENTS
15 August 2015: Maddison accused girlfriend of cheating after finding old emails; forced her to sit on a concrete floor while he interrogated her. Head-butted her, causing her to fall and hit her head on a table.
16 August 2015: Argument over comments she made to friends, which he’d overheard while hiding in scrub. Grabbed her by the throat with both hands.
28 August 2015: Maddison angry that she did not see him in the shed as soon as she got home, had been drinking Jack Daniels. Dragged her out of car when she tried to leave, struck her in head. Searched her phoned, made her kneel on concrete floor and repeatedly struck her in prolonged attack that lasted up to nine hours.
5 September 2015: Argued in the afternoon, accused her of cheating. At 8pm, pinned her to bed with his right forearm across her throat, produced a large hunting knife and put it against her face and throat and stabbed it into bedhead. In the shed, made her kneel on concrete floor, repeatedly struck her and spat in her face, told her: “I feel like biting your face and spitting the meat back into your face. I just want to kill you.” Told her he’d make her death look like an accident or put her body somewhere she’d never be found. Poured petrol from a jerry can over her body and legs, sat on a milk crate and pretended to flick a cigarette at her. Kept telling her to give him one good reason not to kill her. Back in the bedroom, stood on her chest with his boots on. Torture continued until 6am when the sun came up.
10 September 2015: Maddison arrived home extremely angry, had been drinking Jack Daniels, accused her of cheating. Punched her in the head five or six times, dragged her around by her hair. She went to police that day and made the complaints. Police unable to find Maddison.
19 October 2015: The woman attended Toowoomba police station and withdrew her complaint in writing. “I am fearful of what Rick Maddison could do to me and my children after the criminal charges go through,” she wrote. Maddison still missing. Police continued case.
9 November 2015: The woman told police again she no longer wanted to take part in court proceedings. She added that she was “not fearful of him or for my safety” and was not in the right frame of mind when she made her statements. She blamed concussion and medication. Police continued looking for Maddison, did not drop case.
13 November 2015: Maddison handed himself in and was charged with 17 offences including torture and assault. Police said it was in the public interest to continue.
October 2016: Charges against Maddison dropped. It is understood a subpoena was issued for the woman to give evidence but she did not attend court, leading prosecutors to abandon the case.
March 2017: Woman tells police Maddison aimed a gun at his own head, pointed it at her while she was holding her child and fired it into the air. New warrants issued for his arrest.
29 May 2017: Maddison shoots Senior Constable Brett Forte dead on Wallers Rd, Ringwood, after a low-speed pursuit and sparks 20-hour siege before being shot dead by police.