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The Commissioner of Police is travelling to the Waikato this morning in the wake of the dramatic end to fugitive Tom Phillips’ four years on the run with his children. 

After almost four years living in the Waikato bush with their father, Phillips’ missing children were found “safe and well” yesterday, police said. 

Phillips was shot dead by police yesterday after firing a high-powered rifle at a policeman, hitting him in the head. 

One child was at the scene of the dramatic shoot-out early in the morning, while the two others were found in a very remote campsite at 4.30pm, roughly 2km from where their father died. 

Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, had been missing since December 2021. 

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers arrived in New Zealand last night and said he would travel to the Waikato this morning. 

Child psychologist Sara Chatwin told Herald NOW yesterday morning what the children had been through would have likely been “deeply traumatising”. 

Having the way of life they had become accustomed to stripped away from them will be a significant challenge to overcome, she said. 

“You’ve been away from other family, you’ve been living with your dad, you love him, he’s your parent ... to have lost your dad, that is hugely significant, and it will take a whole lot of time.” 

Chatwin said going forward, the children will need substantial support so they can re-establish links with the help of professionals. 

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Tom Phillips, top left, and his three children, first came to national attention when they disappeared in September 2021. Photo/ Supplied 

Their education will likely have regressed, and they would have had minimal social interactions while they were on the run, she said. 

“This is a lot of trauma. The trauma of living a different life, the trauma of living with one parent, and then the trauma of having that parent killed in a bizarre situation.” 

Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Jill Rogers said yesterday that the children would have medical examinations and that police would “work very closely with our partners at Oranga Tamariki to ensure that they receive all of the support that they require at this very difficult time”. 

The children’s mother, Catherine, told RNZ she and her family were “looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.” 

She said they were saddened by how the events unfolded. 

“Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.” 

Registered psychologist David Stebbing told the Herald last month that one of the children’s alleged involvement in a burglary indicates they had likely been conditioned into the life they were living. 

“It’s problematic for their views on crime,” Stebbing said of Phillips’ children. 

“Children develop socially in school, watching TV, being around family. 

“These kids are living in a vacuum, learning from him and not living in a community.”