After four-years living in the deep New Zealand bush, Tom Phillips and his three children were found after a bodged supply robbery at a local shop, leading to a dramatic end of the “bushman dad”
A case that gripped the world for almost four years has finally come to an end as Tom Phillips, also known as “bushman”, was shot dead after a shootout with police.
The father-of-three hit headlines when, after losing custody of his children, he ran away with them to a remote region in New Zealand. Living almost entirely off-grid, Phillips and his children, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and nine-year-old Ember, with Kiwi authorities none the wiser to his location.
An avid outdoorsman and huntsman, Phillips is thought to have been able to survive animals they have hunted, with the 38-year-old occasionally being spotted on CCTV breaking into a shop to steal groceries for supplies.
However, on Monday, his four years as a fugitive were brought to an abrupt end when a burglary at a rural supply store went wrong, ending in a gun battle with local police, in which one officer was seriously hurt and Phillips himself was shot dead at the scene. He was with his eldest daughter at the time, who was taken into the care of the police, and after a search, the two younger children were found camping nearby.
When did the Phillips’ disappear
On September 11, 2021, Tom Phillips and his three children disappeared for the first time, with a huge search operation beginning after his car was found parked below the tideline, submerged in the sea. The four had last been seen on a family farm in Marokopa, New Zealand.
Despite daily searches of land, sky, and sea, involving planes, helicopters and drones, the family couldn’t be located. That was until they walked back through their front door,
Nearly three weeks later, Phillips claimed he needed some space to clear his head and took his children on a “camping trip”. The car is thought to have been stolen and joy-riden while they were away.
Phillips was charged with wasting police resources and was given a court date, although this was pushed back because of the pandemic.
Three months later, on December 9, he and his children would disappear again, although the police did not begin a search as he had notified his family that they would be going and had not broken any of his court orders.
On January 12, having been away from home for over a month, Phillips would miss his court date and an arrest warrant was issued, with a four-year police manhunt officially beginning.
Why did Tom Phillips’ run away?
It has never been fully confirmed as to why Phillips disappeared with his children, but it is thought to be after he separated from his wife and lost custody of the three kids – having previously home-schooled them.
What did the children’s mum have to say?
Tom Phillip’s ex-wife and mother to his children, Catherine, publicly came out to appeal to the father to bring her children home.
In an appeal in 2024 on Jayda’s eleventh birthday, Catherine said: ‘I am standing before you here today, begging for your help to bring my babies home,’ Cat pleaded in the video.
“They are just innocent children; they do not deserve to be treated this way, they do not deserve the life that is being provided to them right now. She will be a young woman now, and she needs her mother.”
She added: “Ember is asthmatic as am I, and she needs medical care that cannot be provided from the land. Many of you say that the children are fine and they are being well looked after.
“How do you know? Have you seen them? Or is it just bush talk? What Thomas is doing is not OK. It is not OK to divide and conquer, to isolate and control.”
After the news of Tom’s shooting, Catherine spoke out about the ordeal. Speaking to Mata via RNZ, she said: “First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki [children] this ordeal has come to an end.
“[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.”
“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.”
What do we know about the three kids?
The Phillips children, Jayda, Maverick and Ember, are thought to have been living off the land, sourcing food from hunting as well as through shop break-ins and stealing farming and camping supplies.
After being found after their father’s death, Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said they were “safe and well” and are being given a medical check. They are also said to be “cooperating with police” after their four years on the run.
Has anyone been helping Tom Phillips?
The four-year-long cat-and-mouse chase has prompted some reports that Tom was getting help from locals who viewed him as a “Robin Hood” figure.
Private investigator Chris Budge told the Daily Mail : “What I think has been happening is that Tom has a little bit of a network of people who think he’s Robin Hood.
“The girls are now heading into their teenage years, and they are going to need stuff. I don’t believe that’s going to be all happening in the bush.”
His dramatic death
Just last week, police believed they had found CCTV footage of Phillips attempting to break into a local food shop while masked up with his daughter on a quad bike.
They soon fled the scene, but the evidence gave authorities the best information they had in months.
Now, on Monday morning, officers were called to another robbery in Piopio when two people on a quadbike fled the scene. Officers managed to catch up to the suspects and laid a spike trip, which managed to blow the quad bike’s tyres.
A shootout soon ensued with Phillips shooting one of the police in the head, leaving him in a critical condition.
A second patrol arriving at the scene engaged Phillips, who was shot and died at the scene.