Police had previously located fugitive father Tom Phillips but did not apprehend him because he was "prepared to put the children in harm's way”, New Zealand police have revealed.

Phillips died when police stopped his quad bike with road spikes and shot him dead in a tense shootout on September 8, in Waitomo in the Waikato region of the North Island.

He had been on the run with his three children since vanishing from their hometown, Marokopa, in Decemb­er 2021 – following a soured custody battle with their mother.

Locals criticised police for the duration of the manhunt, prompting top officials on Friday to admit they had located Phillips and his children on multiple occasions.

They revealed Phillips was deemed too dangerous to approach prior to his final stand.

“Police never stopped

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