The parents of Tom Phillips, who vanished with his three children into the New Zealand wilderness in 2021, have made a public apology - their first comments since their fugitive son was shot dead by police a month ago. 'We would like to send our sincere apology... for all the trouble, inconvenience, loss of privacy, and property caused by Tom,' Neville and Julia Phillips wrote in a letter published on Thursday. They stated their sorrow for all that the community had to endure. Mr. Phillips disappeared amid a custody dispute and managed to evade capture for nearly four years. He was killed in a shoot-out on September 8, during which a police officer was seriously injured. The family lamented his actions and stressed that they did not support him. Following the tragic events, the safety of Mr. Phillips' children became a priority, and they were located later that day with the help of information provided by one of the children involved in the confrontation. Mr. Phillips was known as an experienced bushman and had been living away from urban areas, utilizing the dense forests for survival.