1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: New twist in the matter Coopa Tom Phillips case. So 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: police have put up this eighty thousand dollars reward for 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: information Jada, Maverick and m but we were taken by 4 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: their dad December twenty twenty one. Reward also includes the 5 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: possibility of immunity for anyone who may have been assisting Phillips. Now, 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: private investigator Chris Budge is on listen. He's well this Chris, 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: very good morning to you. 8 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 2: Morning Mike. 9 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: How unusual is all of this? 10 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 2: Well, what's unusual with this is to remember that back 11 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: in December twenty one, when the family first informed the 12 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: police that Tom and the kids have gone missing, their 13 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 2: attitude was this was a family matter before the courts 14 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 2: around custody, so to be here. They weren't really interested 15 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: in the early days to do much around this. It 16 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: wasn't until the arm robbery that the police really ticked 17 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 2: them to gear and there was a leadership change within 18 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 2: the police and their tactics sort of changed. Eighty thousand dollars, Yes, 19 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: it's a reasonabyund money, but if you then compare it 20 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: against putting helicopters down the air and doing searching with manpower, etc. 21 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: It's actually an economical way to move forward. Did the 22 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 2: police drop Jesus early on? Yes, I'm to be fair, 23 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 2: I've been a fairly hard critic of the police in 24 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: the early days. Whilst they they went down occasionally the 25 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: local drums network down there would see the police as 26 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: soon as they came in. They weren't that visual. People 27 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 2: were telling me that they hadn't seen the police for months. 28 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: The next door neighbor to the Phillips farm, she told 29 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: me that she hadn't been interviewed, etc. So I think 30 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: it's because of the attitude. They didn't understand, or they 31 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 2: didn't promote it as been a criminal offense. The effort 32 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: wasn't quite as beast as they could do. 33 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: Once he popped back into town and some of the 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: activity got going, and suddenly he was back in the 35 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: news again, and he was in the area, or clearly 36 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: was back in the area, or had been in the 37 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: area or whatever. How come they couldn't find him. 38 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: Then it's a pretty it's so Firstly, it's a very 39 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 2: country area, so there are lots of little huts around. 40 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 2: There's a network that Tom's have. Remember he's been there 41 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 2: for years growing up through the area. He has some 42 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 2: friends that are on the wrong side of the fence, 43 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: in a criminal element, that they've been hiding them out. 44 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: And that's what it is. As people. People have had 45 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 2: their attitude that, oh Tom's looking after his family, he's 46 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 2: doing the right thing. The cops are a bunch of buggers, 47 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: let's not do anything for them. So he has been 48 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: hidden in a close network of friends around right around. 49 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 1: So there's no question in your mind he's had a 50 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: lot of assistance. 51 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and there is there's anecdotal So I've been speaking 52 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 2: to people and whether family's helping him, whether whether it's 53 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: close friends or whether it's just acquaintances criminal element that 54 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 2: doesn't like the police. Absolutely, he has been assisted by 55 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 2: people to be off the network. He's have to be 56 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: provided with food. The kids are getting older, puberty starting 57 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: to kick him the gear and all those sort of things, 58 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: so he has to be being given some help. 59 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: See that's how come the kids haven't sprung him in 60 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: some way, shape or form, whether it be deliberate or 61 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: a mistake or something. Three of them. That's to wrangle 62 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: three kids. Having been through it myself, is hard. 63 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 2: Work, absolutely, and I think he's done a very good job. 64 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: Of brainwashing the kids in regards to what's right and wrong. 65 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 2: People have told me that the kids that can be 66 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: quite bush oriented. I've even had people told me the 67 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: words feral, So it could be a bit of a game. 68 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 2: We don't know whether or not. There could be other 69 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 2: kids that are helping. Certainly people who names have been 70 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: mentioned they have kids. So but yes, I agree with 71 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: you it would be a tough job, particularly now they're 72 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: getting older. The eldest is ten, She's going to be 73 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: wanting to notice things. She's going to start to think 74 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 2: for herself, so I think he's getting into dangerous areas 75 00:03:59,440 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: if this goes on. 76 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: Make exactly does eighty grand make a difference to someone 77 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: going to spring them? Is this the answer to the 78 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: problem or not? 79 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 2: And I sit on the fence on this one. To 80 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 2: be fair, I think that if one of his friends 81 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 2: or acquaintances can do a quick telephone call and get 82 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 2: eighty grand from the police and then ten grand from 83 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 2: the family, because I've offered some money as well, I 84 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 2: think they'll probably go for it. The risk here is 85 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 2: going to be that the police doing the comment that 86 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: they would look into or consider non prosecution. So I 87 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 2: think if the police went a little bit harder on 88 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: that that they guarantee non prosecution. I think that might 89 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: be off for people that are directly involved. 90 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: Great insight, Chris, appreciate it very much. 91 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 2: Chris Budge for more from news talks that'd be listen 92 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 2: live on air or online. And keep our shows with 93 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 2: you wherever you go with our podcasts on Iartradio.