Fugitive father-of-three spotted with child years after vanishing into wilderness
Police have released previously unseen footage they believe shows a fugitive father-of-three, alongside one of his children, nearly four years after he vanished into the New Zealand wilderness.
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Tom Phillips and his three young children first went missing on September 11, 2021 before returning to the family farm 18 days later.
Phillips, alongside daughter Jayda, now 11, son Maverick, 9, and youngest daughter Ember, 8, then vanished for a second time from the New Zealand town of Marokopa in December 2021.
The last sighting of the group was on December 9, 2021.
NZ police release CCTV footage believed to show fugitive Tom Phillips and one of his children
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Footage from a small North Island town store is the first confirmed sighting of Tom Phillips in a year, nearly four years after he disappeared with his three children
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Now, police investigating a burglary on New Zealand's North Island have released what they believe is footage of Phillips and one of his children.
The video, captured in the early hours of Wednesday, shows a masked man and a child breaking into a storefront in the town of Piopio with a power tool.
New Zealand Police said: "We believe the pair in this footage are Tom and one of his children.
"They were in the area for 13 minutes, having travelled in and out on a quad bike."
Phillips was due to appear in court in January 2022 over a charge of causing wasteful deployment of police personnel and resources following his initial disappearance but failed to appear.
A warrant was swiftly issued for his arrest.
Police have now said Phillips is now also wanted for questioning in relation to an alleged armed robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti near Marokopa, which took place in September 2023.
The latest attempt to track down Phillips and his family took place in June of this year, with a $80,000 reward offered for information leading to his apprehension and the location of the three children.
However, despite much publicity, the reward expired after eight weeks despite over 40 credible sightings reported to officers.
.The children's mother, Catherine, had previously accused Mr Phillips of endangering the children. Investigations are ongoing, with NZ Police Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders confirmed the latest sighting was being treated as "credible".
"While nothing further of significance was located, investigators will now assess information gathered to determine any next steps," he said.
"This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children's wider family."