Man vows to stand by lover despite FBI hunt

Juliette Gilbert, as pictured on the FBI website

Craig Henwood today vowed to stand by his American lover -- despite learning she has been on the run from the FBI for two years.

The Tauranga man was devastated when he learned the woman he met in a local bar nine months ago, 37-year-old Juliette Gilbert, was a fugitive after fleeing the United States with her son Sky in April 2003, after a drawn-out custody battle.

She was supposed to return the boy, now aged eight, to his father Roby after a birthday party.

New Zealand police are now liaising with American authorities to try to bring the mother in.

Mr Henwood's world fell to pieces last Wednesday when he arrived home to find Ms Gilbert and Sky gone -- along with all her possessions and Mr Henwood's car.

The next day, his brother searched for her name on the internet and found an FBI alert -- prompting Mr Henwood to contact police.

"She just packed up her stuff and took the young fella," an emotionally drained Mr Henwood, 35, sobbed this morning.

He had no idea about her past.

"She wanted to tell me but she was just too scared."

Ms Gilbert contacted him soon after leaving and explained that she had panicked about her past and the fact that her relationship with engineer Mr Henwood was going too well.

"The woman is living a nightmare. It's all just to protect the young fellow. She brought him into this world. She's doing everything she can to keep him safe. She doesn't care what happens to her, she's just keeping him," he said.

Ms Gilbert phoned Mr Henwood just half an hour before the Bay of Plenty Times did today.

She was upset at having seen herself on television news last night.

Mr Henwood said Ms Gilbert had called or text-messaged at least twice a day since she vanished.

Today he said he had no regrets about contacting police but said he would focus on supporting Ms Gilbert from now on.

"Morally for me it was the right thing to do (contact police), to get them sorted. I'm just trying to give the poor kid a decent life."

Mr Henwood said his partner wanted two more years alone with her son and then she would turn herself in.

"She's talking to people today about what might happen."

Ms Gilbert hated the thought of Sky going back to his father, who she says mentally abused her.

"It would just kill her if the young fella went back to the dad. And how can you prove mental abuse? He used to scream in her face. He was a bloody dope-smoker, always tripping out," Mr Henwood said.

FBI papers list Ms Gilbert as being blonde, blue-eyed, 163cm tall, 54kg, and now aged 37.

The agency says she vanished after neglecting to return Sky to his father as designated by a court-ordered parenting plan.

This happened at Bainbridge Island, Washington, on April 12, 2002.

Ms Gilbert was charged in Kitsap County Superior Court the same day with a first-degree charge of custodial interference.

She was later charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The FBI said Sky was born on February 6, 1996, which means he will turn nine three weeks from now.

Mr Henwood had supported Sky since moving into Ms Gilbert's Welcome Bay home eight months ago. The pair had a whirlwind romance after meeting at a Tauranga Bar and moved in together after one month.

"I guess I sort of rushed things a bit. I had only just met her and asked if I could move in. We got on like a house on fire."

Sky attended Rupert Steiner School in Welcome Bay and Mr Henwood contributed to the $100 weekly fees.

Ms Gilbert was unemployed.

The trio lived a happy existence and Ms Gilbert was the perfect mother, he said.

"She was trying to live as normal a life as possible for the young fella. She stretched the boundaries for it to be as normal as possible.

"She was the greatest mum. She sits up every night and reads the kid goodnight stories. Her whole world revolves around him. You couldn't ask for a better mum."

Mr Henwood said he would do everything in his power to ensure the three were reunited.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES