'Career destroying': AFP officer jailed for lying about evidence

A senior Australian Federal Police (AFP) detective has been sentenced to four months in prison for lying under oath about evidence seized during a criminal investigation. Trent Madders, 52, pleaded guilty to perjury in August 2020, admitting to making false statements in legal proceedings. Justice David Mossop of the ACT Supreme Court described Madders’s actions as a “tragic misjudgement,” emphasizing that the perjury was “career destroying” and far more serious than the conduct it aimed to conceal. The case centers on an investigation into identical twin brothers, Joshua Tiffen, an AFP officer, and Kenan Tiffen, who were accused of secretly filming female tenants at a Canberra property they owned. During the 2019 investigation, police seized a mobile phone and laptop, which were required to be examined within 30 days unless an extension was granted. Madders, who was overseeing the case, failed to request an extension and was later informed by AFP digital forensics staff that the devices had not been examined within the required timeframe. When the admissibility of the evidence was challenged in the ACT Magistrates Court in 2020, Madders gave sworn testimony that he had been assured the devices had been examined in time. Despite being confronted with emails that contradicted this claim, he maintained his account under cross-examination. He later admitted that these statements were knowingly false. The Tiffen brothers were initially found guilty in 2022, but their convictions were overturned after evidence obtained from the laptop was deemed unlawful. The case was remanded to the ACT Magistrates Court, where the brothers were found guilty again in September 2025 of attempting to capture indecent visual data. Prosecutor Keegan Lee argued that Madders’s lies were “deliberately told, repeated and maintained.” He emphasized that the offense struck at the core of the administration of justice, calling it not a minor or momentary lapse of judgment. In contrast, defense barrister Beth Morrisroe highlighted that Madders admitted his actions were the “dumbest thing he has ever done.” She noted his remorse, insight, and willingness to take accountability, describing him as an “overworked” officer facing significant stress, pressure, and fatigue. The judge acknowledged the potential for Madders to be transferred to a distant New South Wales correctional facility if a jail sentence was imposed, citing his tenure with the AFP in the ACT. However, Morrisroe raised concerns about the heightened risk he might face in any prison setting due to the national media attention surrounding his role in investigating Brittany Higgins’s rape allegation. Justice Mossop ultimately sentenced Madders to nearly a year in prison, with the term suspended after four months, followed by a good behavior order. Madders has been suspended from duty with the AFP since he was charged in 2024. In a statement, the AFP confirmed that he remains under an ongoing internal investigation into his conduct.