Who could pick missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips in the street

Saturday, 15 June 2024

There's an $80,000 reward for information on Tom Phillips and his children, missing from Marokopa for more than two-and-a-half years. We ask if people in the area would recognise him in the street.

Would you recognise Tom Phillips - the wanted Marokopa man - if you saw him in public?

Many Waikato residents are confident they’d spot and report him, claiming an $80,000 reward. Some, however, don’t know who Phillips is and would therefore let him pass by.

Phillips and his three children Ember, 8, Maverick, 9, and Jayda, 10, went bush more than two-and-a-half years ago.

Now police are offering an $80,000 reward for information leading to the children’s safe return - an offer open for two weeks.

Police are offering an $80,000 reward for information on Tom Phillips and his three children.

Waikato Times asked people in Ōtorohonga and Te Kūiti if they could identify the talk of the town.

Eden Hilliam said she would “absolutely recognise” Phillips, but would report him for the sake of his children’s safety, not for the cash.

“If I saw him, I'd probably ask him if he's all good, how are the kids?

“Kids would be my main concern.”

Piopio resident James Warbrooke has had beers with Phillips at the pub and said he could identify him any day.

“I used to live in Waitomo and his kids went to the same school as my kids.

James Warbrooke says he’s had a beer with Phillips before, so would definitely recognise him.

“So I know what he looks like, and and his children too.”

Warbrooke did not believe the $80,000 reward was real. “I think it's just to entice someone to do them in and they'll probably just say no, you're not gonna get the $80K”.

If seen, he would report him “because of the kids”.

“What he did was dumb.”

Tom Phillipas has been on the news a lot, Wiremu Harris and Ivan Reid said.

At first people were probably thinking 'they're just out in the bush“, he said, but Phillips was now accused of robbing a bank.

Te Kūiti residents Wiremu Harris and Ivan Reid had seen pictures of Phillips on the news and said they would inform the police “and get the big bounty”.

There were many who had either never heard of Phillips, didn’t know his face or would probably not recognise him.

Eric Liddington of Ōtorohonga was one.

He would not be able to identify Phillips in public if he was by himself.

It’s thought Tom Phillips took the children somewhere in western Waikato - within Marokopa or the surrounding areas.

With kids, “maybe”.

Te Kūiti resident Bill Stuart had heard of the bank robbery through word of mouth.

As for Phillips, “I have no idea who he is”.

Checkpoints in Marokopa were being scaled down from Friday, police said.

On Monday, a couple from Te Awamutu visiting Marokopa for a holiday said they hadn’t known about Phillips until then.

A road worker on the outskirts of the rural town also said he wouldn’t know if Phillips passed the site.

The children have been missing since December 12, 2021, thought to have been taken by their father to Marokopa or the surrounding areas in western Waikato.

Since then, Phillips has allegedly robbed a Te Kūiti bank with a firearm and broken into a shop in Piopio - both possibly with a child.

Police have made a renewed push since the reward announcement, patrolling Marokopa and visiting the Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel on Thursday following a tip-off.

Police scaled back Marokopa checkpoints on Friday.

Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said they were also making inquiries in nearby areas including Honikiwi and Ōtorohanga, and wanted to hear about any suspicious behaviour there.

He said they’d received more than 70 new reports of information about the missing family, via phonecall, email and personal approaches.

Police continued to urge anyone with credible, current information on where the Phillips children were to make themselves known.

You can also email the dedicated email address op.curly@police.govt.nz or contact Police on 105 or online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking ‘Update Report’ and referencing file number 211218/5611.