New Zealand Police say fugitive father Tom Phillips was never going to surrender peacefully – and was willing to risk his own children’s lives to avoid capture.
In a shocking admission after being criticised for taking so long to track Phillips down, police revealed Phillips and his three children were located several times during their four years on the run – but it was deemed too dangerous to intervene.
‘Police never stopped trying – thousands of hours were dedicated to the search,’ Detective Superintendent Ross McKay said.
Phillips vanished from the rural town of Marokopa in December 2021 with his children after a bitter custody battle with their mother.
Fresh details of one of New Zealand’s biggest-ever manhunts emerged on Friday as officers intensified efforts to track down Phillips’ accomplices.
‘Intelligence played an important role in informing decisions and planning for possible outcomes,’ said Det Supt McKay.
‘We knew Phillips had firearms and was motivated to use them.
‘We also knew, based on previous actions and behavioural science analysis, that Phillips was unlikely to surrender easily and was prepared to put the children in harm’s way.’
Phillips was shot dead near the rural town of Piopio on September 8 after being intercepted with his daughter following an armed robbery at a farm supply store.
When officers deployed road spikes, Phillips opened fire at close range – shooting one officer in the head and leaving him critically injured.
New Zealand police say Tom Phillips would not have surrendered
Various items were pictured at the site where the family hid out, including a quad bike, motor bike, tarpaulin, an air compressor and camping gear
Phillips took his three kids into the bush after a dispute with their mother four years ago
Phillips was with his eldest daughter Jayda, 12, at the time of the deadly shootout. She later guided police to a campsite about 2km away, where her two younger siblings were discovered hiding.
According to the New Zealand Herald, his son Maverick pointed a gun at officers when they arrived.
Phillips’ death brought an end to the four-year chase – but left lingering questions over how he and his children managed to survive off the grid for so long.
The 38-year-old is believed to have moved frequently between bush camps, though police have so far only confirmed two sites.
Det Supt McKay said the priority throughout was the safe recovery of the children.
‘Our focus was on finding a campsite or a supply route,’ he said.
But the family regularly shifted locations and changed their routines, frustrating search efforts.
‘They were detected in transit on occasion but never in circumstances that allowed police to safely intervene,’ Det Supt McKay said.
The search deployed drones supplied by Airbus, which clocked 111 flight hours over a two-week period in April this year.
‘At various times during the operation, police specialist units such as the Special Tactics Group, Armed Offenders Squad, Search and Rescue and Tactical Operations Group were used,’ he added.
Phillips and his kids were often spotted on CCTV footage during their yesrs on the run
Items found at the site the family last used included gas bottles, drink containers, and cooking equipment
A shelter was constructed using tree branches and tarp
The search was also bolstered by the New Zealand Defence Force, which provided helicopters and ground units.
Specialist tools such as geospatial and thermal imaging, along with covert technology including motion-activated cameras, were also deployed.
‘Police never stopped trying – thousands of hours were dedicated to the search,’ Det Supt McKay said.
He confirmed no further information would be released while investigations and reviews remain ongoing.
‘I hope the information released today provides some reassurance about the lengths police and its partner agencies went to in order to resolve this complex situation, as well as some clarity on the difficulties faced in achieving that safely,’ he said.
Despite an $80,000 reward being offered, no one came forward to turn Phillips in.
University of Auckland law professor Mark Henaghan has cautioned that the children must not be made to feel responsible for helping authorities identify those who supported their father.
There were a number of sightings of Phillips and his kids since they went missing in December 2021
Locals who spotted them feared approaching the group because they knew they were armed
‘I’m worried the children are going to be made to feel responsible for identifying people who may well have helped them in good faith – and it’s not their responsibility,’ University of Auckland law professor Mark Henaghan told the New Zealand Herald.
Photos released by police from the family’s final campsite — showing soda cans, tyres, cooking gear and a metal container hidden among camouflaged belongings — revealed few clues.
The officer shot by Phillips during the fatal standoff suffered serious head and shoulder injuries. Detective Superintendent Ross McKay confirmed he was now out of hospital and ‘progressing well’ in his recovery.
Police say they are pursuing ‘strong lines of enquiry’ into Phillips’ suspected accomplices.
The case has bitterly divided New Zealand. Phillips was championed by some residents in Marokopa and won supporters online. But Commissioner Andrew Coster was blunt: ‘I can tell you he is no hero. No one who does this to children, no one who unleashes high-powered rifles on my staff, is a hero. Simple as that.’
It was not the first time Phillips had disappeared with his children. In September 2021, his ute was found abandoned on a beach, sparking fears the family had drowned.
After 17 days, Phillips and the children emerged from the bush, claiming they had been camping. He was charged with wasting police resources but vanished again in December 2021 before facing court.
At the time, he did not have legal custody of his children.
Police say the family did not stay at one campsite at a time for long
In the years that followed, Phillips was accused of escalating crimes – including a 2023 armed bank robbery in which he allegedly fired at a member of the public while one of his children was with him. He was later caught on CCTV committing break-ins to steal supplies, most recently last month.
How the family managed to endure years in freezing, rugged bushland remains a mystery.
Aerial images have fuelled speculation Phillips built or accessed a makeshift dwelling.
The photos show three large white metal containers rigged with power cords, ducting pipe and what appears to be a generator. Police have not confirmed whether the site is linked to Phillips.
Inside the police cordon, footage showed the scale of items seized from a bush camp – including a quad bike, motorbike, air compressor, tyres, camping poles, a toilet bowl, power tools and farm bikes, along with piles of debris.
The haul has intensified speculation he had outside help, a theory police say is central to their ongoing investigation.
The children’s mother, Cat, broke her silence earlier this month, saying she was relieved the ordeal was finally over.
‘They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care,’ she said.
‘At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.’
