Watch: Fugitive Tom Phillips and kids caught on camera tramping through Marokopa bush
Tuesday, 8 October 2024
Wanted man Tom Phillips and his three kids have been spotted tramping through the bush on Waikato’s west coast in what is the first sighting of the family together since their disappearance.
Police said they were informed of the sighting at 7pm on Thursday and subsequently established it “was indeed Tom and his children”.
But officers didn’t make it out to the scene until the next morning, more than 12 hours later, and by then Phillips was gone.
The children, who police said were aged 8, 9 and 10 in June, have been missing since December 2021.
The children’s mother, Cat, told Stuff she was overwhelmed with relief to see her kids were alive.
Police confirmed in a press release on Tuesday that the sighting was credible.
“Thursday’s sighting of Tom Phillips has opened a positive line of enquiry that’s now being looked into by the investigation team,” detective inspector Andrew Saunders said.
“Patrols began in the area on Thursday night and a search was launched the following morning.”
Saunders said for operational security reasons, he would not provide details of when police arrived on the ground, or specific details around the resources involved.
“While we cannot go into detail, we want to reassure the public that we have the resources in place to respond to any information or reports of sightings that come in,” he said.
“Our focus is very much on the safe return of Jayda, Maverick and Ember to their whānau and we are doing all that we can to make that happen.”
It was John McOviney’s teenage grandson who spotted the family while out with his mates shooting at their farm about 4km from Marokopa.
“They saw this guy and these three kids and he wasn’t sure but he rang me. I said that’s who it will be it, it’ll be that guy Tom Phillips,” he said.
“He had enough presence of mind to pull his phone out and video them.”
His grandson called just minutes after the encounter, and McOviney told him to call 111.
After that, the teenager called the farm manager, who rang one of the officers who had previously been in Marokopa to search for Phillips.
McOviney said the police made it out there at 9am the next morning, but by then there was no sign of Phillips or the kids.
“It’s an hour from Ōtorohanga and add onto the coast, so it’s quite a way. So by time they got out there, of course, they were well gone.”
McOviney said there was a big police presence at the farm for a couple of days after the sighting, with a police chopper and about 20 or 30 police officers.
They didn’t find anything, McOviney said, “but he’s a pretty elusive character, isn’t he?”
His grandson said Phillips had a big beard and was carrying a firearm. The children were masked up and were carrying packs.
“They didn’t stop but he did talk to one of them. Was a very short conversation.”
“Who else knows we’re here?,” the children reportedly asked.
The teenager told his McOviney the family looked to be in good health and were walking fine. It was hard to see though, as it was starting to get dark and they were masked up.
“They were following him, so they were doing what they were told.”
Asked if they ever expected to spot Phillips, McOviney said the farm was a reasonable sized property, with quite a few houses and a couple of beach houses.
Months ago, they went down to check the properties to check but didn’t find any signs of life.
The 8500 acre property runs right up the coast, at a length of about 7 or 8km.
“There’s a lot of bush there. Several thousand acres of bush. It’s quite difficult to find somebody if they don’t wanna be found,” McOviney said.
“I don’t know where the hell they are. But I would suggest they are being helped by someone because to be elusive for nearly three years is a difficult situation.”
“I’m not sort of worried about him, but you do get concerned for the children. They have been isolated for three years.
“They’ve had no schooling, they’ve had no normal upbringing for three years. They are fugitives aren’t they.”
Mum relieved to see children alive
Cat, the mother of the children, told Stuff she broke down when she saw the video of the three children, finding it overwhelming.
“I just broke down - they’re alive! There’s three of them there and they’re walking under their own steam, obviously carrying everything on their backs. This is the first time [I’ve seen them] in nearly three years.”
Cat said police only shared the video with her after it had been published in the media.
“They said they weren’t planning on releasing that footage, but why wouldn’t they?”
Cat said she was worried about the children’s health, especially Ember, who has asthma.
“You need a prescription to get inhalers, so either [Tom] is neglecting her health, or somebody’s giving him inhalers.
“They’ve got to be getting help, whether it’s supplies left somewhere for them at a specific drop, they’ve got to be having help.”
She wasn’t surprised to see Phillips had a gun.
“He’s got more than one gun. That was one of our biggest arguments, his lax attitude about guns.”
Cat said she believed Jayda would be the child who reportedly asked the hunters if anyone else knew they were there.
She believed the children were “brainwashed”.
“I bet you he’s got them convinced that this is the best option for them.
“You have no idea what Thomas is like, how manipulative he is, coercive.
“For one of the children to say ‘does anyone else know we’re here’, that’s a little bit trippy.”
Cat said she had no message for her ex-partner, as he was in his “own little world“. A previous video message she sent was aimed at those helping him.
“My message was for his family and his supporters and friends and those people in the community who are just burying their head in the sand.”
She said someone in the Marokopa community must have information, but the $80,000 reward offered by police for a short time this year wasn’t enough.“
'Who is gonna nark on somebody for $80,000 in a small community like that? You’ve got to make it worthwhile.“
She couldn’t believe that people were still supporting Phillips, given that he’d allegedly involved one of the children in a bank robbery.
“And yet people are still like, leave him alone he’s a good dad, I just don’t get it.
“It’s sad to see the standard that people have, what they deem is OK when it comes to the care of children. Do my kids not deserve better?”
“How can it be allowed to happen in this day and age?”
Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said investigators received information about 7pm on Thursday that Tom had been seen in bush area west of Coutts Rd in Marokopa with Jayda, Maverick and Ember.
“Our enquiries have established that this was a credible sighting, and police believe it was indeed Tom and his children.”
Police dispatched staff to the Marokopa area on Thursday night, marking the start of a three day search.
He said there was air support from the Police Eagle helicopter and a Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter.
“While nothing further of significance was located, investigators will now assess information gathered to determine any next steps.
“This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family.”
Saunders continued to urge those in the Marokopa community to remain alert and report any suspicious activity, no matter how minor.
An $80,000 reward was offered for information in June, with immunity from prosecution also on the cards for information that led to the location and safe return of the children.
While police said they received as many as 50 tips “worthy of follow-up”, the offer expired without information that led to the family’s discovery.
This was the second instance of Phillips’ taking off, after the family first disappeared in September 2021.
They spent 17 days in Marokopa’s dense bush, but weren’t found despite an intensive police-led land, sea and air search.
He left the family home in December, and didn’t reappear for Christmas or for his court appearance – on a charge of wasting police time and resources after the first search.
There was a warrant for his arrest, and he was facing charges in relation to aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, and unlawful possession of a firearm as a result of a criminal investigation separate to the missing persons investigation.
Phillips does not have legal custody of the children.