AFP Detective Jailed for Perjury in Filming Investigation

A senior detective with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) will spend four months in jail after admitting to lying under oath about evidence seized during a criminal investigation. Trent Madders, 52, pleaded guilty to perjury, having knowingly made false statements in legal proceedings in August 2020.

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The perjury was career destroying … and much more serious than the conduct it was trying to hide.

Justice David Mossop, handing down the sentence in the ACT Supreme Court, described Madders's conduct as a "tragic misjudgement." He emphasized that the perjury was "career destroying" and significantly more serious than the conduct it was intended to conceal. Justice Mossop stated that Madders undermined the "proper administration of justice" and damaged public perception of police honesty and reliability.

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Madders undermined the "proper administration of justice" and had an impact on the perception of police being honest and reliable.

The case centered on an investigation into identical twin brothers, Joshua and Kenan Tiffen, who were accused of secretly filming female tenants at a Canberra property they owned in 2019. Madders was the officer in charge of this investigation. During the probe, a mobile phone and laptop were seized, but they were not examined within the mandatory 30-day period without an extension. When the admissibility of this evidence was challenged in court in 2020, Madders provided sworn testimony that he had been assured the devices were examined on time.

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Madders admitted his offending was the "dumbest thing he has ever done".

He maintained this false account even when confronted with emails indicating otherwise. Madders has since acknowledged his statements were knowingly false, admitting his offending was the "dumbest thing he has ever done." The Tiffen brothers' initial convictions in 2022 were overturned due to the unlawful evidence obtained from the laptop. Although they were found guilty again in September 2025 after the case was sent back to court, Madders's perjury had a significant impact on the proceedings. Prosecutor Keegan Lee argued that Madders's lies were "deliberately told, repeated and maintained," striking "at the heart of the administration of justice."

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This is an offence that strikes at the heart of the administration of justice.