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

[Iwishiknewwhatiwasdoing]

Posting for traffic…

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?

Over the years there have been some articles where the parents have smiled or smirked when they have been asked about their son and grandchildren. I would be very surprised if they weren’t involved in helping him, even if it was indirectly.

The part of the world he was living in wasn’t hospitable and to stay predominantly out of sight for most of four years, when there are three children involved, is incredibly unlikely without a lot of help. We know he got hold of guns, weapons, quad bikes, fuel, gas canisters and various drinks that could be evidenced in the camp.

There's a surprising amount of support for him

I'm hearing a lot of narrative about a hero dad persecuted for taking his kids out of a corrupt system. Particularly by off grid, home schooling types of which there are plenty

There's lots of mistrust against social services/cps so lots feel he was looking out for his kids

I can see how it sort of snowballed for him. You start off taking your kids into the bush over Christmas, pissed off at being charged with wasting police resources when you never asked the fuckers to come looking for you, and you think, "They are my kids to raise as I see fit." Then it all spirals into this huge shitshow, you go to ground, you get help but also sleep wild, it drags on, you outwit them completely, and then after years there is footage of you all in the media taken by some random pig hunters on the horizon, the people helping you get jittery, your family get fed up and tell you to turn yourself in, you stop trusting anybody, you start robbing more and more to feed your kids, you realise the police are close and have recent footage of you robbing with your kid in tow and you are going to do a long prison sentence if they get you, then it happens-- a cop disables your getaway vehicle and in blind rage and fear you pepper him with bullets because you aren't going down so easily, they aren't just going to take your kids... then you're dead.

I definitely get the impression his family are involved. He was well equipped and I doubt it was the work of keyboard warrior nut jobs you get on Facebook.

I find it really interesting that they refused to speak out in any way until a couple of months ago. It’s been going on for four years - they could have reached out to him publicly at any point, but there’s no need to do that if you are having semi regular contact anyway. His behaviour has become more risky and then suddenly they are willing to talk. It’s possible they’ve become more concerned that he’s spiralling, but there doesn’t seem to be a catalyst for the spiral. It’s also possible that they’ve fallen out or felt they’ve lost control of the situation so are speaking out now.

I 100% don’t believe that they haven’t seen him for fours years, or that he was was in the bush for every single one of those nights.

I'm a kiwi poster. I just wish people would think of the children before they put things on social media. I wish the children and their family all the best in their tough journey forward from this. I also hope the police officers and their families recover and move past this.

If you haven't seen on other social media unfortunately it was published on news websites, newspapers, radio and tv that the children's mother was in court facing drink drive charges the morning her daughter was found, the man that kidnapped and hid his children under appalling conditions for close to 4 years was shot by police after he shot and nearly killed a policeman, at this stage the police had not found her other 2 children and did not know if they were safe or well. Please note the drink driving charge in court would have related to an incident weeks ago during a period where it is well known the police and Tom's family escalating their appeals due to his worrying behaviour and safety for the children. The mother called Cat would have known about the increased concerns for her children's safety. I totally support Cat, after nearly 4 years in constant extreme worry about her children's safety with a man who does not put his children first and puts them in unsafe environment's after leaving him due to her own safety where her own mental health suffered. I find the NZ media has been allowed to publish the fact Cat has been charged for drink driving today ethically wrong and dangerously misleading and only adding to fuel fires with the supporters of Tom Phillips the supporters who call him a hero and his family who in previous comments have most probably been complicit. For those who don't know the area well or NZ in general, it is not an excuse for drink driving but here are the realities.
It is very rural, there is no ubers to call call if you have one too many drinks, there is no police stop check points to deter drink driving, there is virtually no traffic especially at night, it is not like living in a town and driving. It is common local's in rural areas to drive within the rural area to drive after having a bit too much drink and accepted mainly because there is no alternative.
Lots of people recieve drunk driving charges including politicians, policemen, judges, lawyers, firemen, teachers etc. The charges do not mean you are a bad parent or unstable, in most cases it is a matter of a bad decision made at the time.
I am worried this poor mum after having endured 4 years of extreme anxiety every day and perhaps in her past may have had drug addiction problems and now is fully rehabilitated will be mercilessly and judgmentally attacked by Tom's family, Tom's supporters as a hero dad who likely had another unknown child under his care (obvious when the police would not confirm or deny if there was another child and his Tom's family hired an expensive lawyer to obtain a media ban ) will now make horrible media comments about Cat now and troll her.
Before we judge (and we shouldn't judge) This mother has been through hell, still lives in a community knowing some of it members have been aiding and abetting her dangerous ex while kidnapping her children (his parents were not publicly supporting the police and encouraging him to return until last month)
Of all people Cat knows how dangerous this man is and to have to live in that community and see all the hate while worrying for her children and horrible comments must have been unendurable .
What really concerns me about the public media e.g newspapers, tv and radio in this situation is Tom's family can get an injunction to so called protect the children (and perhaps Tom) from reporting on if there were any other persons at the campsite perhaps a baby. Yet his poor mother of children missing for nearly 4 years has likely insufficient income to hire an expensive injunction application or time to apply for one (she was in court the morning mainstream media announced Tom had been shot and one child was in custody) The media knew this and knew she would now be persecuted but didn't give a shit about her welfare.
Something is clearly not right here. The mother will be persecuted and his family hide behind an expensive injunction
Before you judge Cat, imagine if that was you as the mother, surely over the 4 years of extreme worry probably at least one night you would have taken some medication or alcohol to help cope, you would be either a saint or cold hearted and didn't care about your kids if you didn't need something to calm your nerves.
I sincerely hope it is the mother's wider family that are involved caring for the children and rehabilitation (media reports said not the mother but wider family called whanau in maori)
If Tom's family (who can afford expensive lawyers) really cared about their grandchildren they would have made sure Cats drink driving charge in court was media suppressed too. The media reporting of the mothers drink driving charges only make it worse for Cat and her children.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mother-of-tom-phillips-children-in-court-day-ex-husband-shot-dead-children-found/RRFUJPWYDNBE5JZGCT4WKBJUHE/

@Akiwimum2 well said ❤️

Nah no one normal is judging the poor mum. I have heard only sympathy. I don't think anyone would keep it together if their kids had been abducted by a madman and you had no idea from year to year if they were alive or dead. She must be mentally strong as fuck.

I really pray she doesn't get a prison sentence given the extremely unusual circumstances, and that the liberation of her kids is the catalyst she needed to rebuild her life

This.

What a terrible story. The poor children. I read about the sighting earlier in the week but not that they’d been found.
I don’t remember the story at all when it they went missing initially. From reading the timeline with no other context I assumed the initial disappearance which prompted a huge search was a red herring so the police wouldn’t start looking immediately when they went missing the second time.

I agree that we should extend enormous empathy towards Cat. Whatever she has done or not done, no one deserves to have their children taken away for 4 years. I can’t imagine the hell she has been through.

I disagree that drunk driving is okay in rural areas of NZ. Some of the most horrific drunk driving accidents in this country have been on rural roads due to the higher speeds etc. Drunk driving is never OK, and is extremely high risk.

Something is clearly not right here. The mother will be persecuted and his family hide behind an expensive injunction.

This. So far Tom Phillips parents are giving off the same vibe as the parents of Gaby Petito's boyfriend (he murdered her and his parents helped cover for him) and I'm sure at some point they'll be an interview given making this all Cat's fault.

I agree. I grew up in a rural community and several boys from my small secondary school unfortunately lost their lives due to drinking and driving. It's never okay.

However, I've not heard anyone here who has anything but sympathy for Cat and what she has been through.

I agree, drunk driving is never okay or drug driving, I was just trying to give perspective to international audiences that unfortunately it’s not that uncommon particularly in rural remote areas, I’m sorry if my post seemed to endorse in any way drunk or drug driving that was not my intention

i understand what you were getting at. I found it to be absolutely rife in rural areas and not really that frowned upon, in my experience. Regardless, I can’t really find it in myself to judge anything when it comes to this mother, it’s beyond imaginable, what she’s going through.

Unfortunately there has been horrible social media posts about Cat the mother on Facebook and other social media accusing her of all sorts of horrible things. The newspaper’s here in NZ have referred to it and the police. I think that is why the police have made it very clear Tom is not a hero and actually said he was a monster, that was on tv and the herald nz and stuff nz live footage of police interviews. I have seen the horrible allegations myself looking at Facebook but won’t link it as don’t want to give it anymore traction for spreading hate

"If Tom's family (who can afford expensive lawyers) really cared about their grandchildren they would have made sure Cats drink driving charge in court was media suppressed too. "

From what I can can gather they're a well established Pakeha farming family who sent Tom to private school. Got the clout and the $$.

I sincerely hope that Cat is reunited with her children (if she hasn’t already been). Even if full custody right now isn’t appropriate (whether due to Cat’s health or parental alienation by Tom against her or any other reason) hopefully they can work on a future with each other.

It's his family that got the order. Mostly to protect the children's privacy.

He committed burglaries and robberies so could have stolen the bikes. He also prepared before he left.

Yes. There is no baby. Don't even know how that rumor started. Same with a lot of the other rumors. People just blow things up to suit themselves.

I can’t believe you are throwing shade at the media while repeating information the media has expressly been told not to share. What is wrong with you? Those children do not deserve people like you spreading rumours, be better.

I think the police were closing in on his whereabouts (because he had become very brazen in his robberies). Apparently the police were taking a very cautious approach because they feared Tom would resort to murder/suicide.
AbductIon is never acceptable. His actions towards those children were appalling. Denying them of normal life, school, family, friends, hygiene, (warm) beds - and no doubt poisoning them towards their mother. What a selfish arrogant control freak. It is a great pity that he is not spending the rest of his life rotting in jail.

Fellow Kiwi here and I completely agree with your post.

Does you gave a source for it being denied by Police? Admittedly, I havent kept up with the coverage the last couple of days.
I saw on Wednesday the super injunction preventing The Herald the press from running a particular Phillips story had been extended another week but I havent heard much after that.
The rumour started from The Herald. They had a reporter on the ground close by at the time the 2 youngest were recovered. Their reporter asked in the first press conference following the recovery if the police would comment on their reports a baby was found with the children but they got the "No, sorry I can't" response.
I believe it was also The Herald reporter who asked in the next press conference for a confirmation on the number of children rescued but the police spokesman said he couldn't answer comment on that either.
If the rumour isn't true, and I hope it isn't, the police have done a terrible job answering these questions in a way which has allowed this rumor to grow.