The Fugitive Father: The Extraordinary Case of Tom Phillips and His Children
Few stories in recent New Zealand history have captured the public imagination quite like the saga of Tom Phillips, the Marokopa father who vanished into the bush with his three children, evaded authorities for nearly four years, and ultimately died in a police shootout. His case has sparked outrage, sorrow, and now a formal government inquiry into how the system failed to protect three young lives.
This is the story of Phillips, his children, and the questions that continue to haunt New Zealand.
ABC News
🌱 Origins: Family Court Battles and Growing Distrust
The roots of this tragedy stretch back to 2018, when custody disputes between Phillips and his estranged wife Catherine (“Cat”) began in the Family Court. Concerns were raised about the children’s welfare, and the case became entangled in ongoing legal proceedings.
Phillips, a skilled bushman with survivalist training, increasingly distrusted the system. Friends and family described him as capable and protective, but also stubborn and defiant. His sister Rozzi insisted he would never let the children suffer, yet his choices placed them in extraordinary danger.
🌊 The First Disappearance (September 2021)
In September 2021, Phillips’ ute was found abandoned on Kiritehere Beach. Authorities feared the family had drowned, sparking a massive search. Weeks later, Phillips reappeared, claiming he had simply taken the children camping in the bush.
The incident led to charges of wasting police resources, but it also revealed his willingness to defy authorities and live outside the system.
🌲 The Second Disappearance (December 2021)
Just months later, Phillips failed to appear in court and vanished again—this time for good. He took his three children, then aged 5, 7, and 8, into the bush.
From that moment, the saga became a national obsession. Police launched a manhunt, but Phillips proved elusive. He built makeshift camps, hunted for food, and kept the children hidden from schools, healthcare, and the outside world.
🔫 Escalation into Crime (2023–2024)
By 2023, Phillips’ rebellion had escalated. He was linked to armed robberies and thefts across Waikato. Authorities issued warrants, increased search efforts, and even offered public rewards for information.
In October 2024, pig hunters spotted Phillips with all three children, confirming they were still alive. Yet despite sightings, he remained at large, living off-grid and increasingly desperate.
⚔️ The Violent End (September 2025)
The saga ended in tragedy. In September 2025, Phillips was involved in a robbery in Waikato. Police confronted him, and a firefight ensued. Phillips was shot dead.
One child was present at the scene; the other two were later found at a nearby campsite. The children were placed under Family Court protection orders, shielded from public scrutiny to safeguard their welfare.
👩 Catherine’s Role: A Mother’s Pleas
Throughout the ordeal, Catherine lived apart from Phillips. Their separation predated the disappearances, and she consistently fought for custody through the courts.
She made repeated public pleas for the children’s safe return, most notably in June 2024 when a reward was renewed. After Phillips’ death, she described feeling a “wave of complex emotions”—relief that the children were finally safe, but sadness at the violent way the saga ended.
🧠Was He Unsound?
Phillips was never formally diagnosed as such. Reports frame his actions as a mix of survivalist tendencies, distrust of authorities, and outright defiance of the legal system.
He was educated, resourceful, and capable of living off the land. But his rebellion against the Family Court and police escalated into criminality, dragging his children along with him.
In short: he wasn’t “mad,” but he had clearly “had enough of the system.”
⚖️ The Government Inquiry (November 2025)
In November 2025, Attorney-General Judith Collins announced a formal inquiry into the case. Led by Justice Simon Moore KC, the inquiry will examine:
- Family Court proceedings dating back to 2018.
- Police actions and child protection agency responses.
- How Phillips obtained and maintained firearms while evading authorities.
The inquiry will be conducted in private to protect the children, with a final report due in July 2026. It represents a chance to reform New Zealand’s child protection system and ensure such a tragedy never happens again.
🌍 Why This Story Matters
The Phillips saga is more than a tale of one man’s rebellion. It is a national scandal that raises profound questions:
- How could one father evade authorities for nearly four years?
- Did agencies fail to act quickly enough to protect the children?
- What reforms are needed to prevent similar cases in the future?
It is also a test of New Zealand’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires states to protect children from harm and neglect.
đź“ť Conclusion
Tom Phillips’ story is extraordinary: a father who rejected the system, lived off-grid with his children, and ultimately died in a shootout. His estranged wife Catherine fought tirelessly for the children’s return, and now the government must reckon with the failures that allowed this saga to unfold.
The inquiry will determine whether agencies took “all practicable steps” to protect the children. But for many New Zealanders, the case has already become a symbol of systemic failure—a reminder that when the system breaks down, it is children who pay the price.
Wow - yeah - I think I slightly admire the guy, although I don't condone what he has done
This article was written by an AI based on the article linked above and the numerous questions I asked about this man and the circumstances that led to the eventual disaster.
Someone will write a book, if they haven't already started. It will be a hell of a read
#enoughsaid