Fugitive dad-of-three ‘spotted with one of his children’ years after disappearance

Police believe they have caught the dad-of-three on CCTV during a burglary (Image: AFP/New Zealand Police)

A father-of-three who disappeared with his children almost four years ago may have been spotted on CCTV, police believe. Tom Phillips vanished, alongside his daughters Jayda and Ember, now 12 and nine, and his son Maverick, 10, in December 2021. He is wanted by New Zealand Police to face a range of charges, including aggravated burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated wounding.

Authorities now think they have caught him on CCTV trying to break into a shop in Piopio, a small town on the North Island of the country, with one of his children. The footage shows a masked man and child attempting to enter the store using a power tool at around 2am on Wednesday, August 27. "We believe the pair in this footage are Tom and one of his children," a spokesperson for the force said.

The CCTV could show Phillips and one of his children (Image: AFP/New Zealand Police)

"They were in the area for 13 minutes, having travelled in and out on a quad bike."

The CCTV was released as part of a burglary investigation that saw the perpetrators walk away with a number of grocery items, police said.

They have also issued an appeal for any information or sightings of the quad bike between Piopio and the nearby village of Marokopa.

"At the heart of this are three children who have been away from their home for four years," the spokesperson added. "Their wellbeing is our main focus."

Phillips, 38, was thought to have been involved in an armed robbery in May 2023, and a suspect resembling him was caught on CCTV stealing a quad bike later that year.

The 38-year-old is wanted by the police on multiple charges (Image: NZ Police)

The three children haven't been seen since 2021 (Image: NZ Police)

His sister, Rozzi Pethybridge, was among the family members calling on him to hand himself in in a heartfelt public plea released earlier this month.

She said: "I miss you and I miss being part of your life, and I really want to see you and the kids and be part of your lives again. You're very special to me. You're my friend as well as my brother and I love you and it's OK."

Phillips' mother, Julia, added: "I'm really sad that you thought you had to do this, not considering how much we love you and can support you."

He was thought to have been estranged from the childrens' mother and police believe his actions could have been linked to a custody battle.