He’s turned his kids into outlaws

When Tom Phillips first disappeared into the bush with his kids, there was a bit of me that admired him. Not the taking the kids away from the rest of the family, but the fact he could keep four kids happy in the bush for days and weeks on end.

But it has become apparent that he is not just living off the land, but he is robbing stores with the assistance of his kids. He has turned them into outlaws, rather than have them at school.

Radio NZ reports:

The police have dismissed suggestions that elite military forces be called on to track down fugitive Tom Phillips and his children, warning that could risk their welfare.

New CCTV footage of a man and child breaking into a Piopio store has stoked fears about the welfare of Phillips’ children – Jayda, Maverick, and Ember – who were taken by their father to an unknown location in December 2021.

Phillips faces a raft of charges, including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

With the case now stretching on for years, it’s been suggested that the NZ Special Air Services (NZSAS) be tasked with locating him and his children.

The Police are quite right. Sending in the AOS or SAS would be a terrible mistake. The nightmare scenario is not a shoot out between Phillips and the Police, but I worry that his kids would be armed also, and if they fired on the Police, then it would end with dead kids.

UPDATE: Phillips is dead, according to his sister. He shot a police officer before he was killed while trying to rob a business. A sad and pointless ending. My thoughts are with the injured police officer and also his family – hopefully his kids will be found safely and reintegrated back into society.