Featured Image Credit: NZ Police
Topics: New Zealand, Crime, World News
Callum Jones
Here's what happened to the children of a man who'd vanished with them in New Zealand some four years ago.
In 2021, Tom Phillips disappeared along with his three children, Jayda, Maverick, and Ember, who were all eight, seven, and five at the time of their disappearance.
On Monday (September 8), it was announced by authorities that Phillips had been shot dead in a shootout with police in the small town of Marokopa, on the west coast of New Zealand’s Waikato region.
According to police, they'd received a call of a break-in at a small farm supply shop in the early hours of the morning, and they were greeted by two suspects, Phillips and one of his children, on quad bikes, and gunfire started.
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One police officer was shot in the head, leaving him critically injured, while a second police officer responded to the gunfire. Phillips was pronounced dead at the scene, while the child accompanying him was taken into custody. After a search, police later found Phillips' other two children safe.
Authorities said that the child assisted the police in finding their two siblings, who were discovered in a makeshift camp in the wilderness.
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All three children were unharmed and taken into custody; however, police say that they weren't sure if the children were aware of their father's death.
Their mother, Cat, and their grandparents were also notified of their safe discovery, but police did not comment further on who would be providing their care.
"To know the children are safe, and now receiving care after nearly four years, is an absolute relief," said Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers. "Every person involved in this case has had the welfare of the children at heart.
“While they are safe, this is the start of a long journey of recovery and their welfare remains our top priority. For that reason, we will not be going into details about where they are now or their mental state.”
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Authorities were asked by reporters if the children are in touch with Cat and Phillips' family, to which Police Minister Mark Mitchell responded: "Our priority is to make sure these children are looked after and that there is a careful plan, with everyone becoming involved at the right time.
"They have seen and been exposed to things that children in our country should not be."
Meanwhile, Warwick Morehu, from New Zealand's Ministry for Children, added: "These children will be provided with whatever help or assistance they need, for however long they may need it."
Phillips and his three kids first disappeared in September 2021, which led to police first searching for them. However, he appeared at his parents' farm some 19 days later.
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Phillips was charged with wasting police time, but by December 2021, he and the children had vanished again.
Sightings of Phillips and his kids were sporadic; however, a few were reported. Last month, CCTV footage revealed two people in full-body clothing, with police 'confident' it was Phillips and one of his children.
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The clip saw the pair appearing to break into a store in the small town of Piopio in the early hours before driving off on a quad bike.
Officials believe that Phillips took the kids after losing legal custody of them to Cat.
Speaking to the New Zealand Herald for a documentary about the case, Andrew Saunders, who was Acting Detective Inspector at the time, said: "That's effectively why we believe he has taken the children, over custody."
The mother of the three children shared a statement with Radio New Zealand following her children's discovery.
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"[The children] 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 today. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved."