Graham Philip

Philip was born in Hackney, London in 1960.{{cite book |title=A Tale of Two Vicarages |first=GJ |last=Philip |date=24 September 2019 |asin=B07YCSQS1Q}} While he was young, the family moved to Petone in Wellington, New Zealand, when his father got a job there. Philip described his father as emotionally manipulative towards him and his brother David. Philip returned to London in his twenties, working for Dolby as a sound engineer. In May 1988, David, having previously escaped a mental health facility, stabbed fellow vagrant Kyung Eup Lee to death in Melbourne during an argument over squatting. David then dismembered Lee's body, cooked and ate his flesh, and spread other body parts around.{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/the-case-of-the-cannibal-killer-david-philip-accused-of-eating-murder-victim-kyung-eup-lee/news-story/d86f8406d0c70eb4caad1b041206fde4 |title=The case of the cannibal killer David Philip accused of eating murder victim Kyung Eup Lee |date=21 January 2013 |work=Herald Sun |first=Mark |last=Dunn}} Philip visited David in prison after complying with a vaccine requirement. He eventually moved back to New Zealand, living in Hāwera, Rotorua where he worked as a high school teacher, and Taupō where he worked at a computer repair shop.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/childhood-abuse-a-cannibal-brother-and-covid-conspiracies-the-life-of-saboteur-graham-philip/EGFJSCKUKJB4JG3D7LWFSHA4L4/ |title=Childhood abuse, a cannibal brother and Covid conspiracies: The life of saboteur Graham Philip |date=1 December 2022 |work=New Zealand Herald |first=Ethan |last=Griffiths}}{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130396430/graham-philip-trout-fisherman-fanfiction-author-saboteur |title=Graham Philip: Trout fisherman, fan-fiction author, saboteur |date=10 November 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Charlie |last=Mitchell}}{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/who-is-graham-philip-the-first-kiwi-convicted-of-sabotage/2WHL72EOE4ZM2L3WNQDBJEYPRI/ |title=Who is Graham Philip, the first Kiwi convicted of sabotage? |date=4 November 2022 |work=New Zealand Herald |first=Ethan |last=Griffiths}}

Philip was radicalised online during the COVID-19 pandemic. He supported Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud in the 2020 United States presidential election and QAnon-related conspiracy theories. Philip became an anti-vaccination activist and COVID-19 conspiracy theorist, expressing "paranoid and apocalyptic views" and gaining hundreds of followers online. He claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine was designed by a Satanic cabal to cause mass death and depopulate the world. He believed society would soon collapse and got involved in the prepping community, where he instructed people how to make explosives.

Philip took part in stunts such as wearing a snorkel inside stores to protest mask mandates and setting up a table on a street in Taupō with a sign saying "Change my mind: Covid-19 is fake", inspired by Steven Crowder. He self-published several books, including Star Wars fan fiction, many of which contained vaccine conspiracy plots in his effort to "red pill" readers. On his Gab account and his Telegram radio show, he called for military tribunals to sentence people to death for war crimes and treason, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, all other members of the New Zealand Parliament, and various journalists, academics, and health bureaucrats.

After an altercation when Philip was denied entry to a bank, a police officer visited his home on 29 September 2021. Philip took a photo of the officer's badge number and posted it online with threats to "make him pay". He also posted photos of electrical substations and transformers, implying to his followers that they should use tools to attack them, and in his Telegram radio show spoke of his plans to do so himself. Between 6 November and 27 November, Philip carried out attacks on Transpower New Zealand infrastructure, with one attack resulting in a fire. He caused an estimated $1.25 million in damages.

Philip was arrested at his home in Acacia Bay on 8 December 2021. His vehicle and electronic devices were taken by police, and Philip was sent to Spring Hill Corrections Facility. His name and the details of his offending were subject to a suppression order. His wife Marta and fellow conspiracy theorists seized on the lack of details, portraying him as a political prisoner and campaigning for his release, including fundraising for his legal fees and protesting outside of courthouses. Name suppression was lifted in July 2022, though his name had been spread through social media since at least February,{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300616031/graham-philip-is-charged-with-sabotage-thats-all-we-can-tell-you |title=Graham Philip is charged with sabotage. That's all we can tell you |date=30 July 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Charlie |last=Mitchell}} and far-right conspiracy platform Counterspin Media had published an interview with Marta in May.

Philip was initially charged with seven counts of wilful damage, but this was upgraded to sabotage in early 2022. He was also charged with one count of unlawfully entering agricultural land. After previously entering a not guilty plea,{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129417838/public-may-never-know-details-of-nzs-first-sabotage-case |title=Public may never know details of NZ's first sabotage case |date=29 July 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Benn |last=Bathgate}} he changed his plea to guilty for all charges on 4 November 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130065470/new-zealand-legal-history-made-as-graham-philip-pleads-guilty-to-sabotage |title=New Zealand legal history made as Graham Philip pleads guilty to sabotage |date=4 November 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Benn |last=Bathgate}} On 1 December 2022, Philip was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, and the suppression order partly lapsed, publicly revealing for the first time what he had targeted.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130623195/saboteur-graham-philip-jailed-for-trying-to-cut-power-to-entire-north-island |title=Saboteur Graham Philip jailed for trying to cut power to entire North Island |date=1 December 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Benn |last=Bathgate}}

Philip also faced a separate $300 charge for breaching COVID-19 lockdown laws at a protest in Taupō on 31 August 2021. He went to trial on 19 December 2022 and represented himself, having pleaded not guilty. He cited Magna Carta in his defence,{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129762785/magna-carta-and-the-wisdom-of-charles-ii-form-graham-philips-defence-against-covid-infringement-charge |title=Magna Carta and 'the wisdom of Charles II' form Graham Philip's defence against Covid infringement charge |date=13 September 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Benn |last=Bathgate}} a tactic common in the sovereign citizen movement.{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/coronavirus-causes-rise-in-bizarre-sovereign-citizens-movement/news-story/e6868c633245824cc2cbaefc7be1277b |title=Coronavirus causes rise in bizarre 'sovereign citizens' movement |date=16 May 2020 |website=news.com.au |first=Benedict |last=Brook}} The infringement notice was upheld, but the charge was waived as Philip is in prison and unable to pay.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130802895/convicted-saboteur-graham-philip-fails-to-get-covid-infringement-wiped |title=Convicted saboteur Graham Philip fails to get Covid infringement wiped |date=19 December 2022 |work=Stuff |first=Benn |last=Bathgate}}

Philip was denied parole in January 2023, due to not having had a psychological assessment, having no release plan, and being seen as an undue risk to the community by showing no remorse.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131026767/parole-denied-for-graham-philip-the-first-new-zealander-jailed-for-sabotage |title=Parole denied for Graham Philip, the first New Zealander jailed for sabotage |date=20 January 2023 |work=Stuff |first=Benn |last=Bathgate}}

Philip was released from prison on 8 January 2025.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/power-grid-saboteur-graham-philip-released-from-prison-but-will-remain-on-electronic-monitoring/WTVG6CVFGRGYDPQDDRVWEJBTZY/ |title=Power grid saboteur Graham Philip released from prison but will remain on electronic monitoring |date=8 January 2025 |work=New Zealand Herald |first=Ric |last=Stevens}}

Philip is married to Marta, a Brazilian woman, with whom he has three children. He is a devout Christian with fundamentalist views, having turned to the faith at the age of 19. He credited Christianity for him not turning out like his brother, and claimed it cured him of schizophrenia.

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Category:1960 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Hackney, London

Category:English emigrants to New Zealand

Category:New Zealand Christians

Category:Christian fundamentalists

Category:New Zealand anti-vaccination activists

Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists

Category:New Zealand conspiracy theorists

Category:New Zealand criminals

Category:Saboteurs

Category:People with schizophrenia