Dad who vanished into wilderness with his three kids seen for first time in a year on CCTV

A fugitive father-of-three is believed to have been captured on CCTV footage for the first time in a year, police in New Zealand announced.

Authorities have been desperately trying to locate Tom Phillips and his kids, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, since they vanished almost four years ago.

The dad does not have legal custody of his children.

There has been a number of sightings since the foursome disappeared into the New Zealand wilderness, but none of the leads have so far paid off.

However, police are now 'confident' that surveillance cameras outside of a small shop in Piopio, a small town in the Waitomo District, captured video of Phillips on Tuesday (26 August).

The footage, taken at around 2am local time, shows two people kitted out in full-body clothing and face coverings.

The pair then allegedly orchestrate a break in at the store - which is reportedly the same location Phillips is accused of unsuccessfully targeting in November 2023.

In a press conference on Friday (29 August), Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Saunders said the duo were in the area for around 13 minutes and seemed to do some 'reconnaissance'.

"He certainly appears very comfortable to just come all the way to Piopio and commit a burglary," Saunders said. "We've always considered Tom is committing offences to help support his lifestyle."

According to the detective, a grinder was used to enter the premises, while the pair then made off with some 'grocery items' after gaining entry.

The owner of the store told New Zealand broadcaster RNZ that milk was the only thing that was taken, adding: "They turned down the opportunity to take butter, cheese and vegetables also stored in the chiller."

Detective Saunders questioned whether the break in allegedly committed by Phillips suggested that the allies who are believed to be helping him stay hidden have turned their back on him.

Earlier this week, a former detective inspector revealed his theory that the dad 'has a new partner who has been helping him'.

Cops believe the CCTV taken outside of a shop in the town of Piopio earlier this week shows Tom Phillips (New Zealand Police)

Detective Saunders said investigators were 'considering what this burglary actually means'.

He added: "Does this mean he's potentially had a falling out with who's helping him, or he's just that brazen and confident that he's quite happy to come out and commit a burglary?"

The duo captured on CCTV fled on a quad bike following the alleged break in.

"At the heart of this are three children who have been away from their home for four years," Detective Saunders continued, as per RNZ. "Their wellbeing is our main focus.

"We're not going to get into a confrontation situation. Our concern is that Tom will pose a risk to anyone that tries to stop the way he's living his lifestyle with his children.

He disappeared with his kids, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, nearly four years ago (New Zealand Police)

"We've got to see what it means that he's come all the way out to Piopio to get grocery items.

"Those people that are helping him will know where he is and we want them to sit down with us and help get those children out safely."

The cop then directly appealed to Phillips, saying: "My message to Tom and those people helping them - let's get those children out safely.

"Everyone would like this to be over, but the focus is getting the children out safely and we're not going to put anyone in harms way to do that."

The fugitive dad's family recently made a plea for him to return home, as the fourth anniversary of their disappearance nears.

The children's mother, Cat, has been clinging onto leads over the last few years, hoping that one of them will pay off and help her reunite with Jayda, Maverick and Ember.

The dad is alleged to have unsuccessfully targeted the same store in November 2023 (New Zealand Police)

Phillips absconded with the trio after a dispute with Cat, and this came several weeks after he vanished with them for 19 days.

When he originally went AWOL, he eventually returned with the youngsters, telling relatives that he had taken his brood on an impromptu camping trip in dense bushland.

Authorities charged Phillips with wasting police time and resources, so he was then given a court date to attend on 12 January - but by that time, he had already gone missing again with the kids.

As he failed to appear, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Reports claim the dad did return home on 9 February for a short period, informing his family they were all OK, but would not reveal their location, and he then vanished once again.

In October last year, police announced there had been a 'credible sighting' of the foursome on a farm in the region of Waikato, as two teens reported having a brief chat with the family.

But the trail went cold once again - until now.