Tom Phillips: Behind the cordons footage reveals shooting scene

Marks on the bank where Tom Phillips' quad bike may have been after it hit the spikes at high speed. Photo / George Heard

Minutes after the cordons lifted, key clues have revealed the reality of Tom Phillips’ final moments.

Dark blotches were still visible on the stretch of road where the fugitive was shot dead on Monday morning.

Impact marks could also be seen on the bank where his getaway quad bike may have stopped after it hit police spikes at high speed.

An absorbent material has been put over the road where Phillips’ body is believed to have lain.

Impact marks on the bank along Te Anga Rd, near Waitomo, show where Tom Phillips' quad bike may have hit.

What we know so far

Although investigations have revealed many aspects of the Phillips case, some key details will remain suppressed for now after a hearing on an urgent injunction application.

Phillips was shot dead by police on Monday after nearly four years on the run with his three children.

In a standoff, he shot a police officer multiple times. The officer is recovering in hospital.

Phillips was found on a quad bike with one of his children after a burglary at a farm store in Piopio. The child helped lead police to their siblings at a bush campsite.

Phillips had been on the run since December 2021, when he disappeared with his three children from their family farm in Marokopa. Jayda, Maverick and Ember were 8, 7 and 5, respectively, when they went into hiding. They are now 12, 10 and 9.

The children’s mother said “they have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care”.

The children are now in the care of Oranga Tamariki.

Police have found a number of campsites and photos show the conditions the children had to endure, painting a grim picture of their daily reality among rubbish and tarps.

Three firearms, including the weapon used by Phillips, have been recovered from the shooting scene.

Several firearms were found at the camp, police said.

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