Why Tom Phillips is no hero: ‘A dad who loves his kids doesn’t put them in harm’s way’ - Ryan Bridge

THE FACTS

• After four years on the run with his three children, fugitive Tom Phillips was shot dead by police yesterday morning.
• One child was found with Phillips at the time of the shooting, while the remaining two missing children were found at a campsite yesterday afternoon.
• Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has tough words for anyone supporting Phillips, saying “he’s not a hero”.

Tom Phillips is no hero in my eyes.

It’s brutal but I think he brought this whole thing on himself. Yes, he was killed and that is a very hard and sad fact his kids are going to have to live with for the rest of their lives.

Their father is dead. But he shot a cop who was an innocent local constable trying to do his job.

Tom Phillips also deprived his children of their mum, of any professional medical attention, and of any formal education for four years.

Ember was 5 when they were taken into the bush and hasn’t been to school since. She is now 9.

The kids were essentially used as helpers, as their dad allegedly carried out bank robberies, burglaries and break-ins. These are not the actions of a father who wants the best for his kids.

Any parent who loves their children knows you don’t put them in harm’s way.

Much will be made of the custody situation in the coming days, but the fact is, we don’t know much detail about this – and likely never will. The full story won’t come out.

When he went bush the second time, Phillips was in breach of a custody order. But that’s about all we know because Family Court cases are wrapped up in suppression like Fort Knox in this country to protect the kids.

Fair enough too.

But whatever happened in court, before court, no matter how unfair or unjust a case may be, if you take the law into your own hands, run away with your own kids, deprive them of an education and contact with society for four years, then the outcomes are yours to own. And yours alone.

The outcomes here are bittersweet.

A father is dead. A police constable is in hospital, lucky to be alive.

And three children have survived, at least physically, a dangerous situation where they should never have been in the first place.