Latest news with #PaddyGower
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- The Guardian
Family of New Zealand fugitive on the run for almost four years with his children plead for his return
The family of a fugitive father who has been hiding for more than three years in New Zealand's rugged wilderness with his three children has pleaded with the man to come home, in some of their first public comments since he vanished. Just before Christmas 2021, Tom Phillips fled into the Waikato wilderness with his children Ember, now 9, Maverick, 1o, and Jayda, 12, following a dispute with their mother. Phillips does not have legal custody of his children. 'I miss you, miss being part of your life and I really want to see you and the kids,' said his sister Rozzi Phillips, in her first interview since he disappeared. Rozzi Phillips told New Zealand journalist Paddy Gower she hoped her public appearance would reach her brother, after other attempts to contact him through email and phone had been met with silence. 'I hope that just maybe, maybe, he is going to see this and maybe he is going to get to see that he can come home and we are here for him and it might just be OK,' she said. Rozzi Phillips wanted her brother to know she missed him and loved him, and his children to know she wanted to be in their lives. 'No day that goes by that I don't think about all four of them,' she said. Phillips' mother wrote a letter to her son, which his sister read out in the interview. '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,' she wrote. 'Jayda, Maverick, Ember, I love you so much and really miss being part of your lives every day I wake up, and hope that today will be the day that you will come home.' Rozzi Phillips spoke highly of her younger brother, revealing details of the man whose ability to evade detection has fascinated New Zealand for years. He was a good brother with an 'amazing sense of humour', she said, adding he was an excellent outdoorsman who could build, hunt and survive. The vast Waikato region, where Phillips is presumed to be hiding is made up of long sweeping coastline to the west, forested terrain and farmland in the centre, limestone cave networks to the north and a smattering of small rural towns and settlements throughout. Phillips comes from a farming family in Marokopa – a tiny coastal settlement of fewer than 100 people which has became inextricably linked with his story. Before he disappeared, many New Zealanders would have struggled to pick it out on a map. It is a quiet, isolated settlement in the Waikato, two hours from the nearest city, Hamilton, with one long winding road in and out of the densely forested and hilly landscape. The remoteness of the landscape has frustrated police attempts to locate Phillips. While there is no suggestion his family helped Phillips, the question of how he has managed to conceal himself and his three children – and survive – in the harsh terrain has led to speculation others in the community may be aiding him. Phillips' sister said part of her hoped he was being helped but that she would also 'be very angry' with anyone who did and failed to update the family on her brother and his children's wellbeing. Phillips recent lengthy disappearance was preempted by an earlier – albeit shorter – stint where he went bush with his children. In September 2021, the four were reported missing and his ute was found abandoned along the Marokopa shoreline, resulting in a major search operation across land and sea. Nineteen days later, Phillips and the children walked into his parents' farmhouse just outside Marokopa. Phillips claimed he had taken his children on an extended camping trip in dense bush in an effort to clear his head. He was charged with wasting police time and resources. But fewer than three months later, the four were reported missing again and when Phillips failed to show for a January court appearance, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Sightings of Phillips and his children over the three and a half years have been rare and fleeting. They have had little contact with society during this time – though Phillips took at least one child out of the bush in May 2023, when he allegedly committed a bank robbery in nearby Te Kūiti, and in November that year when he allegedly attempted to rob a small grocery store. While there were several other sightings in mid-2023 and an $80,000 reward was put up for information in June, the trail went cold. Police have described Phillips as someone who 'doesn't live a mainstream lifestyle', eschewing social media and limiting his use of mainstream banks. Meanwhile, his purchases of camping items and seedlings suggested he was living off the land. In October 2024, footage emerged of an adult and three children walking through Marokopa farmland, after a chance encounter with teenage pig hunters who pulled out their phones and began filming. Police believed it to be Phillips and his three children. A police search of the area the following day failed to find them. In the interview with Paddy Gower, Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said police were open to negotiations with Phillips and anyone who may be assisting him. 'Let's get everyone out of there safely,' Saunders said. 'Everything can be worked through … it's been long enough now and it is time to get those children out and let them get on with their lives, and Tom can deal with whatever he needs to deal with.'
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- The Guardian
Family of New Zealand fugitive on the run for almost four years with his children plead for his return
The family of a fugitive father who has been hiding for more than three years in New Zealand's rugged wilderness with his three children has pleaded with the man to come home, in some of their first public comments since he vanished. Just before Christmas 2021, Tom Phillips fled into the Waikato wilderness with his children Ember, now 9, Maverick, 1o, and Jayda, 12, following a dispute with their mother. Phillips does not have legal custody of his children. 'I miss you, miss being part of your life and I really want to see you and the kids,' said his sister Rozzi Phillips, in her first interview since he disappeared. Rozzi Phillips told New Zealand journalist Paddy Gower she hoped her public appearance would reach her brother, after other attempts to contact him through email and phone had been met with silence. 'I hope that just maybe, maybe, he is going to see this and maybe he is going to get to see that he can come home and we are here for him and it might just be OK,' she said. Rozzi Phillips wanted her brother to know she missed him and loved him, and his children to know she wanted to be in their lives. 'No day that goes by that I don't think about all four of them,' she said. Phillips' mother wrote a letter to her son, which his sister read out in the interview. '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,' she wrote. 'Jayda, Maverick, Ember, I love you so much and really miss being part of your lives every day I wake up, and hope that today will be the day that you will come home.' Rozzi Phillips spoke highly of her younger brother, revealing details of the man whose ability to evade detection has fascinated New Zealand for years. He was a good brother with an 'amazing sense of humour', she said, adding he was an excellent outdoorsman who could build, hunt and survive. The vast Waikato region, where Phillips is presumed to be hiding is made up of long sweeping coastline to the west, forested terrain and farmland in the centre, limestone cave networks to the north and a smattering of small rural towns and settlements throughout. Phillips comes from a farming family in Marokopa – a tiny coastal settlement of fewer than 100 people which has became inextricably linked with his story. Before he disappeared, many New Zealanders would have struggled to pick it out on a map. It is a quiet, isolated settlement in the Waikato, two hours from the nearest city, Hamilton, with one long winding road in and out of the densely forested and hilly landscape. The remoteness of the landscape has frustrated police attempts to locate Phillips. While there is no suggestion his family helped Phillips, the question of how he has managed to conceal himself and his three children – and survive – in the harsh terrain has led to speculation others in the community may be aiding him. Phillips' sister said part of her hoped he was being helped but that she would also 'be very angry' with anyone who did and failed to update the family on her brother and his children's wellbeing. Phillips recent lengthy disappearance was preempted by an earlier – albeit shorter – stint where he went bush with his children. In September 2021, the four were reported missing and his ute was found abandoned along the Marokopa shoreline, resulting in a major search operation across land and sea. Nineteen days later, Phillips and the children walked into his parents' farmhouse just outside Marokopa. Phillips claimed he had taken his children on an extended camping trip in dense bush in an effort to clear his head. He was charged with wasting police time and resources. But fewer than three months later, the four were reported missing again and when Phillips failed to show for a January court appearance, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Sightings of Phillips and his children over the three and a half years have been rare and fleeting. They have had little contact with society during this time – though Phillips took at least one child out of the bush in May 2023, when he allegedly committed a bank robbery in nearby Te Kūiti, and in November that year when he allegedly attempted to rob a small grocery store. While there were several other sightings in mid-2023 and an $80,000 reward was put up for information in June, the trail went cold. Police have described Phillips as someone who 'doesn't live a mainstream lifestyle', eschewing social media and limiting his use of mainstream banks. Meanwhile, his purchases of camping items and seedlings suggested he was living off the land. In October 2024, footage emerged of an adult and three children walking through Marokopa farmland, after a chance encounter with teenage pig hunters who pulled out their phones and began filming. Police believed it to be Phillips and his three children. A police search of the area the following day failed to find them. In the interview with Paddy Gower, Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said police were open to negotiations with Phillips and anyone who may be assisting him. 'Let's get everyone out of there safely,' Saunders said. 'Everything can be worked through … it's been long enough now and it is time to get those children out and let them get on with their lives, and Tom can deal with whatever he needs to deal with.'
Newsroom
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Newsroom
Paddy Gower's TV comeback and the hunt for a fugitive father
As non-descript buildings go, it is about as non-descript as there is. The address in Boston Rd in Auckland's Eden Terrace sits across from the bluestone, barbed wire-topped walls of Mt Eden Prison – the scene of New Zealand's last execution. The two-storey 1960s building has been described by real estate agents as an office warehouse and a 'land banking opportunity' but in recent times it has been a TV studio. Mediaworks used it for The Project and Stuff's 6pm bulletin for Three News now emanates from here. Last week Paddy Gower welcomed 20 people into the Boston Rd building to watch him record the first episode of his latest version of Paddy Gower Has Issues. 'It is more of a garage with a green screen,' said Gower. 'Maybe we should call it [the show] the Garage Sessions or Paddy Gower Unplugged.' Getting himself back on television has been a challenge for Gower. He and his show were dumped by Three when the station owners, Warner Bros. Discovery, shut down Newshub and started looking for a way out of their loss-making New Zealand business. Finally, NZ on Air came to the party with nearly a million dollars for eight episodes. Most likely it wanted to help the depressed production sector and avoid any blame for the collapse of TV current affairs. As Gower told his invited cheer squad on Wednesday, 'it has been quite a fight to get this happening again.' Gower has embraced a period of experimentation since the demise of Newshub. Publishing a book, touring the country as a commentator and comedian, developing his 'This is the f**king news' brand with Stuff, and filling in as a radio host on RNZ. None of it appears to be a screaming success or an unmitigated disaster but when the cameras rolled at Boston Road and Gower bounced onto the floor shouting 'I'm Paddy Gower and I've got issues' it felt like he was home – the arena that best suits his talents. The first story was a good one. Part crime, part mystery, part human drama – the story of Tom Phillips and his children. Phillips has been on the run with his three kids for nearly four years. He is believed to be hiding out in the bush near the remote town of Marokopa in the Waitomo district. The missing Phillips children before going bush with their father. Photo: Paddy Gower Has Issues Yes, plenty of reporting has been done on this story but Gower came to it with some new angles and insights. Previously, Phillip's parents have spoken only briefly about their son's decision to go bush, so Gower's sit-down interview with the fugitive's sister was interesting and revealing. Rozzi Phillips described Tom as a 'top man' who loves music, deer stalking and possesses a quick wit. An expert bushman who is very good with his hands. 'There's a lot of love and there's a lot of support, and we're ready to help you walk through what you need to walk through,' she told Gower. '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 okay.' Midway through the interview Rozzi pulled a note from her boot. It was a letter from Tom's mother appealing for him to give himself up. 'Every day I wake up and hope that today will be the day that you will come home.' The interview also revealed Tom Phillips had legal custody of the children when he left home in 2021 but Oranga Tamariki is now their custodian. Rozzi Phillips agreed with Gower that this would be motivating her brother to stay in the bush. Perhaps anxious not to be glorifying criminal behaviour or improving the public image of Tom Phillips, Gower's introduction to the story included the line 'he is no hero.' In a skilfully constructed segment, Gower walked the audience through the background events including Phillips' alleged involvement in a Te Kuiti bank robbery where a shot was fired. He also talked to Stuff investigative reporter Tony Wall who spent a night in the Marokopa bush to demonstrate how unlikely it is that Phillips and his children are living in the open during winter. The takeout being that Phillips is getting help from locals or has built a shelter, or several shelters, that haven't yet been found. Gower's ambition to be constructive and come up with solutions not just problems, was tested in the next segment – an interview with the cop in charge of the case. Would the police do a deal: negotiate with Phillips or a third party for the children to be handed over in return for some sort of concession? Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said he was open to doing a deal that would see the children safely returned. 'Everything can be worked through but he [Tom] has to have some end-game and it is time to get those children out and let them get on with their lives.' The second half of Paddy Gower Has Issues highlighted the dilemma that TV current affairs shows, especially New Zealand ones, have faced in the past 20 years – how to provide light and shade, giving viewers some relief from the weightier topics via something that is a bit more entertaining but still relevant. Gower's established sidekick, ex-teacher, actor and comedian Karen O'Leary gets this job. Her topic this week was the high cost of butter. It was a little bit informative and a little bit funny. Viewers might have been hoping for more of both. O'Leary went down on the farm to speak to dairy farmer Richard McIntyre. He was articulate and explained how farmers weren't making a huge margin despite the high cost of butter. They were paying off debt and preparing for a rainy day. What O'Leary didn't explain was that McIntyre was, until recently, the dairy chair of Federated Farmers – the farmer lobby group. Other interviewees to play along with the lighter segment were Finance Minister Nicola Willis and 2degrees founder Tex Edwards. Both were happy to continue their regular poking of the two big supermarket chains. In the end, the segment turned into a big advertisement for the convenience store chain, Night and Day and its cut price butter promotion. The show didn't declare if Night and Day had paid for the coverage but, if they didn't, then the people in their marketing department are geniuses. When Gower made his documentary series 'Paddy Gower on…..', Three left much of the promotion to Gower himself, partly due to its unprofitable state and reduced marketing budgets. Gower is a natural publicity hound and released enough of the interview with Rozzi Phillips for major news outfits to run the story on the day of his show going to air. But, it would be good to see Sky, the new owners of Three, throw some money into an advertising campaign and lift the awareness of Paddy Gower Has Issues. At least one good current affairs show deserves a place amid the reality shows that now dominate free-to-air television in this country.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Family of fugitive dad ‘Bushman' hiding for FOUR YEARS in wilderness with his kids pen letter begging him to ‘come home'
THE family of a notorious fugitive 'Bushman' dad has penned a passionate letter urging him to come home. Tom Phillips has been on the run in New Zealand with his three kids since 2021. 5 5 5 He was allegedly spotted in a layby on State Highway 4, south of Te Kūiti back in February. One concerned member of the public spotted four people, an adult man and three children, dressed in camouflage. But the 36-year-old and his three kids - Jayda, 11, Maverick, 10 and Ember, nine - are still in hiding across the North Island wilderness. Members of his family have now broken their silence in a heartfelt plea for him to return home after years on the move. Speaking to Paddy Gower for the family shared a letter begging him to come back. It reads: "Tom - I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this. "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." Phillips and the three kids are now nearing the end of their fourth New Zealand winter in the bush. Since he ran off in 2021, his parents have refused to give interviews - but they've now changed their mind with this urgent plea. The emotive letter was hand written by Phillips' mother Julia. Speaking to his sister Rozzi Phillips echoed Julia's sentiment. She said: "Maybe he's going to see this, and maybe he's going to get to see that he can come home, and that we are here for him, and it might just be okay. "There's a lot of love and there's a lot of support, and we're ready to help you walk through what you need to walk through. "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 okay." Phillips is reported to be an accomplished bushman who once undertook a six-month outdoor survival skills programme. The kids' disappearance was reported to cops one month after they vanished. New Zealand police have offered a $80,000 reward for information leading to the children's return. Phillips remains wanted by cops, and is also accused of robbing a bank and firing a gun at a supermarket worker in 2023. 5 5
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
Family of father on run for years with three children in dense wilderness urges him to come home
OceaniaFacebookTweetLink Follow The family of a fugitive father who's been hiding his three children in the dense New Zealand wilderness for nearly four years has spoken publicly for the first time since they disappeared. Thomas Callam Phillips vanished with his children in December 2021, and despite several sightings, appeals for help, and a police search, the family's location remains unknown. Police are seriously concerned for the children, Ember, Maverick, and Jayda – believed to be ages 9, 10 and 12, respectively – who've had no contact with their mother since their father failed to bring them home. In her first interview since her brother disappeared, Rozzi Phillips told New Zealand journalist Paddy Gower how much the family misses him and wants him to return. 'I miss you, and I miss being part of your life,' she said, her voice breaking. 'You're very special to me… I really want to see you again.' Rozzi Phillips also read out a handwritten letter from their mother to her missing son, who is now wanted by police on multiple charges. '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,' the letter said, according to New Zealand news site Stuff. 'Jayda, Maverick, Ember, I love you so much and really miss being part of your lives every day I wake up, and hope that today will be the day that you will come,' it continued. It's unclear if his family's appeals for help will reach Phillips, who New Zealand Police believe is living off-grid, using his survival skills to feed, shelter and clothe his children. Last June police offered a reward of 80,000 New Zealand dollars ($52,000) for information leading to their location and safe return. Phillips is wanted for a series of alleged crimes, including the armed robbery of a bank in May 2023, when two people were seen on closed circuit television escaping on a motorbike with cash. New Zealand Police later named Phillips as the suspect, and said he was aided by a female accomplice. Both were said to be armed. In November 2023, Phillips and an unnamed child are also alleged to have smashed the window of a shop at 2 a.m., before fleeing on a stolen quad bike. Phillips has also been seen on CCTV, with his face covered, buying supplies in a hardware store. 'We know Tom has been sighted at retail locations across the Waikato region disguised with various masks,' police said in a statement at the time. When contacted by CNN Tuesday, New Zealand Police said there were no updates about the police investigation. Police and local authorities believe supporters are helping Phillips to remain at large. Rozzi Philipps told Gower that she had had no contact with her brother since he disappeared. Asked why she was speaking out now, almost four years after her brother's disappearance, she said: 'In the hope that just maybe, maybe he's going to see this, and maybe he's going to get to see that he can come home, and that we are here for him, and it might just be okay.' Last year, the children's mother, who identified herself as Cat, made an emotional appeal to anyone with information on her children's whereabouts to call the police. 'I'm standing here before you today, begging you for your help to bring my babies home,' she said in a video posted to Facebook. 'They are just innocent children.' Of Jayda, she said, 'She will be a young woman now, and she needs her mother.' 'Ember is asthmatic, as am I, and she needs medical care that cannot be provided from the land. And I can only imagine how Maverick is coping,' she added. 'What Thomas is doing is not okay,' she said. 'None of this is okay. My babies deserve better.'
