The half-sister of the three missing Phillips children has recalled the last conversation she'd shared with her siblings before their father vanished with them.
On 9 December, 2021, father Tom Phillips took his children; eight-year-old Jayda, six-year-old Maverick and five-year-old Ember and disappeared with them into the wilderness in New Zealand.
The case is currently back in the news as Phillips and his three children were seen together for the first time since their disappearance, after being reportedly spotted by a group of pig hunters on on 3 October.
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The sighting was reported to local authorities who promptly searched the area, however, they were not able to find any further trace of the family.
An interview with the siblings' older half-sister Jubilee Dawson has since resurfaced online in the wake of the sighting, with her recalling the last conversation she'd had with them.
Speaking to New Zealand outlet 1News last year, Jubilee revealed how she'd spoken with her siblings 'briefly' after their father previously disappeared with them for 19 days in September 2021.
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Police had been alerted to their disappearance, however, Phillips later reappeared and claimed he'd taken the children on a camping trip.
He was later charged with wasting police time and was given a court date for 12 January, 2022 - but he would disappear again just a couple of months later.
Jubliee said when her siblings came back, it was the 'most that I cried over the course of the 19 days'.
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Explaining how they 'weren't allowed to talk about their 'camping trip', Jubliee revealed the children had supposedly clocked on to the fact that they had been reported missing.
"I think they were well aware they were missing, they're well aware they were on TV the first time, and I think they do know they're not supposed to be gone," she said. "They said their rice went mouldy, they said they were near water, and Maverick said they did lots of walking.
"That is all the information they gave us."
Recalling fond memories about her siblings, Jubilee explained that she'd wanted to speak out so the siblings wouldn't feel as though they'd been forgotten about.
"It's hard to keep going through life as you would day to day and worrying about my siblings and just not knowing that they're okay and having to push it to the back of my mind." she said.
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"My biggest fear is that they're out there wondering why we haven't come to get them. It's just been so long and there's nothing else we can really do."
"We love them very much, and we are just waiting for them to come home," she added.
Following the sighting of the children, their mother Cat spoke of her relief to learn all three of them were alive and together, telling the NZ Herald: "I’m so happy that they’re all there.
“I’m so relieved to see all three of my babies. They’re all alive."
Topics: World News, Crime
Brenna Cooper