The parents of fugitive Tom Philips, who was fatally shot by police last month, have apologised to the community for their son’s actions.
In a letter to the community, published in the King Country News, Neville and Julia Phillips expressed their “sincere apology” for the “trouble” their late son caused.
Phillips, who had been on the run from New Zealand authorities for nearly four years, along with his three children, was shot dead by a police officer early last month.
Phillips and his children – Jayda, Maverick and Ember – now aged between 9 and 12, disappeared in 2021. Their disappearance puzzled investigators for years, prompting extensive searches of the dense forest where the family was believed to be hiding.
“We would like to send our sincere apology to all those in the Waitomo/Otorohanga districts, most especially those in the Marokopa/Te Anga community for all the trouble, inconvenience, loss of privacy and property caused by Tom,” the letter reads.
“We in no way supported him or agreed with any of his actions in the past four years. We are truly sorry for all that you had to endure,” the brief letter stated.
Although authorities thought they remained off-grid in the forests of the Waikato region on the remote North Island home in Marokopa, confirmed sightings were extremely rare.
He did not have legal custody of the children. Phillips fled with his children in December 2021 after a dispute with their mother. It is believed the children have had no outside contact since.
He was shot dead in an armed confrontation with authorities early on 8 September, ending a four-year manhunt. Police responded as he attempted to break into a farm shop in a small rural town. During the incident, a police officer was critically injured after being shot in the head during a confrontation with Phillips, who had just robbed an agricultural supplies store. The injured officer has since been discharged from the hospital.
A child with Phillips at the time of the burglary was taken into custody.
After a large-scale search involving helicopters and a team of 50 officers, police located Phillips’ two other children at a remote campsite in the dense bush of Marokopa, in New Zealand’s Waikato region.
Authorities earlier said that Phillips was using survival skills to shelter and feed the children in remote terrain and warned that any confrontation could put them at risk.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Neville and Julia Phillips have never spoken to the media about the investigation over the years. However, other family members, including Phillips’s sister Rozzi, previously shared that their mother had written a letter to her son.
“Tom, I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this,” her letter said. “Not considering how much we love you and can support you.
“It hurts every time I see photos of the children and of you and see some of your stuff that is still here. Thinking what could have been if you had not gone away.
“Jayda, Maverick, Ember – I love you so much and really miss being part of your lives. Everyday I wake up and hope that today will be the day that you will come home,” she wrote.
Last month, the children’s mother issued a statement to Radio New Zealand in which she said she was “deeply relieved” that the “ordeal” for her children had ended.
“They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care,” said the woman, who has been identified in New Zealand news outlets only by her first name, Cat.
“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.”
Phillips was already facing multiple charges, including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was also accused of an armed bank robbery in May 2023, in which two masked suspects fled on a motorbike with cash.
In 2024, police offered a reward of 80,000 New Zealand dollars (£37,000) for information that could lead to the family’s safe return.
