New Zealand’s shocking Tom Phillips saga has plunged into fresh turmoil as authorities stall on deciding the fate of his three children—Jayda (12), Maverick (10), and Ember (9)—following his fatal September 8, 2025, shootout with police in Piopio. The siblings, found at a remote Waikato campsite after nearly four years in hiding, remain in Oranga Tamariki community care, their future hanging in the balance amid a vicious dispute between Phillips’ parents and ex-wife Catherine “Cat” Christey. Cat, facing a drink-driving charge, pleads for her kids, but Phillips’ mother blasts her as an “alcoholic” who forced Tom’s desperate flight, igniting a national firestorm on X (#PhillipsCustodyWar).
The children, traumatized from their wilderness ordeal, are undergoing evaluations, with Oranga Tamariki citing a “complex situation” as the reason for the delay. Cat, 46, appeared in Te Kūiti District Court on September 8—the day of Tom’s death—charged with driving with excess blood alcohol (174mg, triple the limit) from an August incident. “I’m their mother—bring them back!” she sobbed to RNZ, but her legal troubles have fueled doubts about her custody claim. Phillips’ mother, furious, accused Cat of being a “drunk who drove Tom to take the kids into the bush—it was his only way to keep them safe!”
The feud escalated as Phillips’ family, including sister Rozzi, rallied against Cat, claiming her “lies and instability” sparked the 2021 custody battle that led to the escape. Campsite evidence, including firearms and supplies, suggests outside help, deepening suspicions. X users are divided—some back Cat’s anguish, others side with the Phillips clan, tweeting, “Tom died protecting them from her chaos!” Police Minister Mark Mitchell called it a “sensitive matter,” as Oranga Tamariki weighs trauma assessments and family dynamics.
Who gets the children? Cat’s court date looms, while Phillips’ parents demand guardianship. This custody clash threatens to prolong the kids’ limbo, leaving New Zealand gripped by a heartbreaking battle over love, lies, and legacy.
