Tom Phillips’ quad bike seen piled with farm supplies after fatal police standoff

The getaway vehicle used by Tom Phillips before his death has been spotted piled to the brim with farm animal feed, shoe boxes and gumboots.

A Herald photographer on the scene spotted the quad bike Phillips was on when he hit the spikes laid by police on Monday morning, being removed from the area by police.

Some of the name-brand items loaded and strapped on to the vehicle retail for up to $379 each.

Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, were in hiding for more than three years in the rugged Waikato backcountry with their fugitive father before things came to a dramatic head yesterday.

Phillips was finally cornered on the red quad bike with one of his children after a burglary at a PGG Wrightson farm supplies store in Piopio.

Police then set spikes at the intersection of Te Anga and Waipuna Rds.

Several minutes later, the quad bike ran over the spikes and came to a stop shortly after.

The incident escalated into an armed standoff with police, which ended in Phillips’ death. A police officer was also critically injured.

Monday morning's drama began after it was reported the PGG Wrightson store in Piopio had been broken into. Photo / Mike Scott

What is on Tom Phillips’ quad bike?

Pictured on the bike were multiple boxes of John Bull brand shoes, which are sold for up to $379 on the PGG Wrightson website.

Red Band brand gumboots were also seen on the vehicle and can cost close to $90 from PGG Wrightson.

Similar bags of animal maize feed seen on the quad bike sell for around $26 each for a 20kg bag from the same retailer.

A Mitre 10-branded bucket can also be seen on the side footrest of the red quad bike.

An image from the scene yesterday showed the PGG Wrightson store in Piopio had been taped off. The store was targeted around 3.30am Monday.

PGG Wrightson’s chief executive Stephen Guerin said the company had a “limited number of facts” and noted police have full control of the site while they investigate.

The last believed sighting of the runaway dad before Monday was the end of August during a separate suspected burglary.

The fugitive father was accused of committing a string of serious criminal offences while at large.

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