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A King Country newspaper has published a letter of apology from the parents of Tom Phillips who died in a shootout with police on September 8.
Phillips disappeared into the remote Waikato bush in September 2021 with his three children, Jayda, Maverick and Ember. He reappeared after three weeks but went on the run with the children again that December.
It sparked a four-year search for the family, which ended with Phillips being fatally shot in the early hours of September 8 after wounding a police officer with a firearm. Phillips’ eldest daughter, Jayda was found with him and was uninjured.
The remaining children were found at a remote bush campsite later that day.
Read more: ‘Never stopped trying’ – Police detail how they tried to find Phillips’ family
Today, October 9, Neville and Julia Phillips issued a public apology to King Country residents for the upset and trouble caused by their son.
“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.
“We in no way supported him or agreed with any of his actions in the past 4 years. We are truly sorry for all that you had to endure,” the letter read.
It’s the second time Phillip’s parents have issued statements to media about their son.
On September 30, 2021, after he had returned from going bush camping with the children, Phillips was subsequently charged for wasting police time but missed his court date in January the following year, sparking a warrant for his arrest.
It was then Phillips and his family released a statement to Newshub:
Phillips said he was “remorseful and humbled for the unintended trouble he has caused”.
“We, the family of Thomas, Jayda, Maverick and Ember Phillips wish to express our relief and joy at their safe return, well and happy,” they said. “In these uncertain times with so many added pressures Tom’s decision to go camping without letting anyone know was obviously distressing to everybody.
“Since his return, on gaining an understanding of what lengths have been gone to, to ensure their safe return and the distress caused, he is remorseful and humbled for the unintended trouble he has caused.
“He is now coming to terms with the horrific ordeal we have been put through, thinking that they were possibly all dead.”
Phillips went on to commit a string of crimes before his fatal confrontation with police, including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Police have yet to charge anyone who assisted Phillips in relation to the offences he committed.
