Tom Phillips - any Kiwis (or others who know the story) want to discuss?

[Iwishiknewwhatiwasdoing]

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Such a nightmare of a situation. So insane how he managed to evade police for 4 years. The youngest may not even remember his previous life?

I remember this story well, it is horrendous. I am so pleased all the children have been found alive.

Yes. I was thinking how will they find the other children once their dad is dead.

Unbelievably arrogant man, taking his kids like that into a shitty desperate life of hiding and on the run.

Yes, such a massive relief that they have been found. Can’t imagine what the reintegration process will be like for them.

Not a Kiwi, but I’ve been following this story for some time.

Those poor children. Putting them in that sort of danger every day for four years was selfish and inexcusable, and now the one found with him has to live with seeing their father attempt to kill someone (you don’t open fire multiple times with headshots if you are not aiming to kill) and being shot dead himself in the process.

I hope those kids can find some sort of peace and sense of belonging after everything that’s happened to them, but they have been so brainwashed by their father as they were so young when they were taken from their home that I think they will be affected for life. I’m just glad it is all over and that they are physically safe, and hope that the police officer recovers.

I'm delighted they survived.
They'll be traumatised.
I'd imagine that they love both parents, his death will be painful for them, regardless of his actions.

Yes, so painful.

Given that it’s though that he took the kids away due to a custody battle, who knows what narratives he might have been telling the children about other family members and the authorities.

It's an horrific story. Even the elder two children may barely remember their mother. And I agree he has probably been feeding them all sorts of stories about family and society.

Taking one of his children with him to rob banks and stores, it is just unimaginable what those poor children have gone through.

I can't believe he hasn't had help, those poor children.

Only read the news of on the story this morning , but it makes you think that this Man must of been quite unhinged or that obviously desperate. ( before I get hounded for calling him out as ‘unhinged’)

I say this as who on earth would take their DC on bank raids / shop lifting etc .
It seems from reading that he led his life on the run with these poor children in what must of started like an adventure for them . Instead they will now be traumatised .
Having to be resettled into normal life with whatever issues that is going to cause them for the rest of their lives .
Selfish , irresponsible Man !!

Seems like in the comments a lot of people saying that the mother used drugs and abused them, so he felt he was protecting them but it's no way for children to have lived. I'm glad the children are safe, and I am hoping the police officer will recover too.

I've been loosely following this story since the beginning and whilst I'm glad that it's over and Tom Phillips cannot continue to cause harm and destruction to his children I cannot imagine the headspace those poor kids must be in.

I wonder if they will be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. The youngest one has spent pretty much half their life on the run in the wilderness. And whichever child was witness to the police shoot out and their father being shot dead will probably also be experiencing deep trauma. Hopefully the world's media will be respectful of their rights to privacy.

Also hoping that the injured police officer makes a full recovery.

Yep. Those poor kids, I really hope they will get the help they need, and that people respect their privacy. And yes, i also hope the Police Officer does recover.
I'm a kiwi, and my job involves dealing with cases like this - so my work will no doubt be involved with all this for next few months.

i really hope those kids will be ok.

I read elsewhere that it’s a very close community and he very likely did have help.

I hope the DC get the support from loved ones and authorities, they are going to need it.
I hope they're protected from the media.

I am not from NZ but have followed from the start and was a family solicitor in Scotland for many years. I’ve actually found today that it’s all I can think about, those poor, poor children.

The desperation of someone to do that, the history of the court process against fathers. The challenge of keeping three children alive in those conditions being the preferred option. The fact one led them to the rest.

those children need absolute kindness and compassion.

only they know the truth, and that may be something they never want or are able to reveal.

the media will paint two narratives, the drug addict mother, the man with no choice. And the mother with the custody order, whose children were taken.

we will now never know. and I do think there are huge questions to be asked of the police historically, and the family court system.

I’ve also kept an eye on this story when I’ve seen it crop up, was very glad to hear that the children have been located. I hope they get every bit of support that they need.

I think it’s pretty much accepted that support was being provided by others in the community, certainly the tone of the last appeals suggested that. I wonder if something happened over the last few months that resulted in that support being removed and forcing Phillips to start the robberies.

I can’t believe the comments on social media still supporting him, even in the knowledge that he was bringing his child with him to commit burglaries and robberies whilst armed with all the obvious risk that entails. When confronted by police he decided to risk his child’s life rather than admit the game was up. What a guy.

I imagine a lot of questions will never be answered now he’s dead.

Those poor children. They’ll be devastated. What a terrible situation he placed them in.

I've been following the story over the years. I'm so glad that they've found the other two children.
I think it's believed that he has had continued help from wider family during the time they have been on the run.

I feel that he must have completely lost his grip on reality to have involved his child in an armed robbery. What a tragedy for all of them, especially the children, their whole lives will be coloured by the events of these years. How difficult it will be for them to adjust to ordinary life, poor souls.

Also following.

He definitely had help. There is talk that the reason he has been committing so many burglaries lately is that he had fallen out with his helpers and the help had dried up which makes sense to me.

I also think the police knew it was going to end in a shoot out and were extremely worried about a murder-suicide with all 3 children being killed. So they have been taking a softly softly approach to avoid that. Although they probably did not think it would take this many years to resolve.

The police have made it clear we cannot expect to receive any updates on the children and that's the way it should be. my only concern there is that the media will offer huge sums and so someone on the wider family will talk.

Well the Mother has got a lawyer now to stop some parts of the truth coming out.
What is there to hide?

www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572468/timeline-of-the-day-tom-phillips-case-came-to-a-close

Why should the mother's life be open to scrutiny? I'd hope Oranga Tamariki will be working closely with her if it is needed.

I am so glad the rumour there was a baby with them turned out to be false.

I’m reading that as Tom’s family have got a lawyer to stop things being published, not the mother. I don’t think they would refer to the mother as “the Phillips family”. She only seems to have been referred to as “Cat” or “Catherine” and appears to have attempted to keep her surname private (although they were married at one point so perhaps it is Phillips).

I agree, nowhere in that article does it say their mother has engaged a lawyer, and I also read it as being Tom's family.

It certainly seems like his support was waning. The story about the bull that was slaughtered in the middle of the night at one of the nearby farms, which was thought to by Tom, gave me the shivers. The next morning, the farmer found the carcass in the paddock instead of his bull.
I know that slaughter is part of farm life, but somehow the circumstances of slaughtering it in the middle of the night just seem so grim (and desperate).

Oh that's fantastic
I'm so pleased,I've not seen it on the news
What happened,how were they found