New Zealand fugitive killed in shootout as three children found; mother faces separate court charge

Tom Phillips, a 38-year-old man who had been on the run with his three young children for almost four years, was killed in a police shootout on a rural road near Piopio on New Zealand’s North Island, authorities said. One police officer suffered a serious head injury in the confrontation; the officer remained in hospital receiving treatment.

After the early-morning shooting, officers located Phillips’ eldest child, 12-year-old Jayda, at the scene and she assisted police in finding two other children — Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9 — who were in a remote campsite about two kilometres from the road. The three children were taken into the care of Oranga Tamariki, New Zealand’s Ministry for Children. Officials said there had been no reunification with their mother, who has been engaged with court and child-welfare processes.

Police described the incident as the conclusion of a prolonged, complex case in which Phillips and the children had been living in bushland for years while wanted on warrants. Investigators said items recovered from multiple campsites and from a quad bike included camping gear, fuel containers, weapons, and a range of food and drink. Police released photographs of one makeshift shelter and the surrounding clearing as part of their public updates.

New Zealand’s Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, said the episode had exposed children to experiences "that children in our country should not be" and called Phillips a "monster" for the harm he inflicted on the family during his time on the run. Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers said Jayda was cooperating with investigators.

The three children are in state care while authorities and the courts determine the next steps, the ministry and police said. Questions about why the children had not been reunited with their mother, identified in court records as Catherine Christey, were raised in the immediate aftermath of the deaths. On the same day Phillips was found, Christey appeared in court on a charge of driving with a blood-alcohol level that police recorded at 174 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood; the legal limit in New Zealand for drivers 20 and over is 50mg per 100ml. That case was adjourned.

Police and child-welfare officials said decisions about reunification were being made with the children’s welfare as the priority and subject to court direction. Oranga Tamariki and the courts have statutory responsibilities in sensitive family cases, and ministers emphasised that some reasons for the timing of decisions could not be publicly detailed because of legal orders and the need to protect the children.

Lawyers for Phillips’ mother sought an urgent High Court injunction within hours of his death to prevent publication of certain details of the investigation. An interim order was granted and later extended by the High Court, restricting public reporting of specified material while the court considered submissions from media organisations, police and the ministry.

The case has drawn a divided public response. Online supporters have portrayed Phillips as a victim of a custody dispute, while police and some family members disputed that narrative and warned that further facts would emerge as investigations continued. Former senior officers involved in the case told media they expected additional charges could follow for others who may have assisted Phillips while he was evading police.

The episode dates back to December 2021, when Phillips and the children first disappeared and his 4x4 truck was found abandoned on a beach near the family farm in Marokopa. After a 19-day disappearance that prompted an extensive land and sea search, the family returned to the farm. Phillips later left again with the children in 2021, missed a court hearing and an arrest warrant was issued. Police said the family had been captured on several surveillance cameras in 2023 during incidents that included alleged thefts and raids on local stores; police also allege Phillips was armed during some of the recent incidents.

The children’s mother has said she feared for their safety while Phillips was on the run and has criticized authorities, saying she felt sidelined during the long disappearance and subsequent events. She issued a public statement after her children were found saying she was relieved their ordeal had ended and that they had been "dearly missed." Family members who have spoken publicly reiterated concerns about past threats and behaviour within the household.

Police said their investigation into the circumstances of Monday’s confrontation, the activities of Phillips while he avoided arrest, and any individuals who may have provided assistance remains under way. The police identified the scene near Te Anga Road as an active crime scene while forensic work continued.

High Court proceedings are scheduled to consider whether to lift or extend the interim reporting restrictions sought by Phillips’ relatives. Police and child-welfare authorities said they would continue to coordinate with the courts to ensure the children’s safety and that any public reporting complied with legal orders designed to protect minors and the integrity of ongoing investigations.