Matthew Hague: Lawyer and ex-cop says police need to avoid confrontation in Tom Philips manhunt

Police have a balance to manage as they continue the hunt for Marokopa fugitive father Tom Phillips and his three children.

Police have released CCTV footage of a retail burglary in the King Country town of Piopio on Wednesday involving two people they believe to be the Marokopa father and one of his children.

Lawyer Matthew Hague, who has served in the Police and Defence Force, says Police need to balance bringing this to a conclusion - with the risk of Phillips having weapons.

But he told Heather du Plessis-Allan that this doesn't mean Police will be passive.

Hague says they'll be working with the community, and using a variety of resources - but they'll be trying to avoid a direction confrontation.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the case of the missing matter coorper Man Tom
Phillips and his kids, Police have basically confirmed that they
are not actively searching for them.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Everyone would like this to be over yesterday, but I
go back to the focus is getting the children out safely.
We're not going to put anyone in harm's way just
to try and end something quickly.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Police have held a press conference today after news that
Tom and possibly one of his kids broken too a
pupew dairy on Wednesday to Steel Milk. Military lawyer Matthew
Hague is served in both the defensebuls and the police
and is with us. Hello, Matthew, what are you reckons
going on here? Have the police basically backed off?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
I think they have, and I think that's wise. I
think the police need to balance bringing this matter to
a conclusion with the risk that mister Phillips, or perhaps
even worse, one of the kids could be involved with weapons.
And there's risk to everyone. Please the kids and mister Phillips.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
So what are we doing? Are we just basically waiting
for them to eventually one day come out of the bush.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
I think that would be the best outcome. It would
hopefully happen sooner rather than they say. But I've got
no doubt that police will be not just monitoring the
situation passively. They'll be very actively thinking, perhaps observing, taking
steps to locate mister Phillip and the kids. They'll be
working with a community, they will have a range of
different resources available to them. What they're trying to avoid

(01:23):
is a direct confrontation in a way that could result
in the read that outcome.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Possible though Matthew that this could go on for years.
I mean, I can't remember how young the youngest one is,
but it'll be years before that child is not subject
to any family court orders, if that is what the
motivator is.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yes, and in fact it has been years, hasn't it.
So I think that's why I say that the police
will need to balance avoiding escalating the situation with bringing
it to a close, because this can't go on forever.
But police, I think, are wisely not jumping into it
too quickly.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Would I mean, look, it would it not be possible
to watch these guys find out whether watch them and
then if we want to avoid a gunfight, which we
definitely do, nab them next time they go into Pew
Pew to get some milk.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, that would be a good outcome as well, and
I suspect that's one option that police will be not
just looking at, but potentially looking to effect. But you know,
this is an unpredictable situation, and from what I've seen
in the media, the allegations are that he has weapons
with him, perhaps all the time. So it's really difficult,
I think, to find a time that would be safe

(02:28):
for everyone.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Tell me, please tell me if I'm naive, But is
it not possible that we have the capability within the
police or the defense force to actually track these guys
to where they are and beyond them before they realize it.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
I think there is that capability, and I think perhaps
we'll get to the point where that's exactly what they
will do. But with that option, there's a huge amount
of risk. Is careful as they are as professional as
the police and the defense force are, there's the risk
they could pick up a gun and open fire. We've
seen that overseas, we've seen that in New Zealand on occasion.
No one wants that.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Matthew, it's wonderful to talk to you. Thank you so much.
Thanks for expertise. Matthew hag A military lawyer who's been
both in the defense for Send the Police.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
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