# Graham Philip

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New Zealand conspiracy theorist

**Graham John Philip** (born 1960) is a [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand) [conspiracy theorist](/source/Conspiracy_theory) and convicted criminal. He was the first person in New Zealand history charged with [sabotage](/source/Sabotage), after he attacked [New Zealand's electrical grid](/source/National_Grid_(New_Zealand)) in an attempt to cut power to the entire [North Island](/source/North_Island) in 2021.

## Early life

Philip was born in [Hackney, London](/source/Hackney%2C_London) in 1960.[1] While he was young, the family moved to [Petone](/source/Petone) in [Wellington](/source/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](/source/Dolby) as a sound engineer. In May 1988, David, having previously escaped a [mental health facility](/source/Psychiatric_hospital), stabbed fellow vagrant Kyung Eup Lee to death in Melbourne during an argument over [squatting](/source/Squatting). David then dismembered Lee's body, [cooked and ate his flesh](/source/Human_cannibalism), and spread other body parts around.[2] Philip visited David in prison after complying with a [vaccine](/source/Vaccine) requirement. He eventually moved back to New Zealand, living in [Hāwera](/source/H%C4%81wera), [Rotorua](/source/Rotorua) where he worked as a high school teacher, and [Taupō](/source/Taup%C5%8D) where he worked at a computer repair shop.[3][4][5]

## Conspiracy theories and crimes

Philip was radicalised online during the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic). He supported [Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud in the 2020 United States presidential election](/source/False_claims_of_fraud_in_the_2020_presidential_election) and [QAnon](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Prepping) community, where he instructed people how to make explosives.[3][4]

Philip took part in stunts such as wearing a [snorkel](/source/Snorkel_(swimming)) inside stores to protest [mask mandates](/source/Face_masks_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic) 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](/source/Steven_Crowder). He self-published several books, including *[Star Wars](/source/Star_Wars)* [fan fiction](/source/Fan_fiction), many of which contained vaccine conspiracy plots in his effort to "[red pill](/source/Red_pill)" readers. On his [Gab](/source/Gab_(social_network)) account and his [Telegram](/source/Telegram_(software)) radio show, he called for [military tribunals](/source/Military_tribunal) to sentence people to death for war crimes and treason, including Prime Minister [Jacinda Ardern](/source/Jacinda_Ardern), all other members of the [New Zealand Parliament](/source/New_Zealand_Parliament), and various journalists, academics, and health bureaucrats.[3][4][5]

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](/source/Electrical_substation) and [transformers](/source/Transformer), 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](/source/Transpower_New_Zealand) infrastructure, with one attack resulting in a fire. He caused an estimated $1.25 million in damages.[3][4][6]

### Arrest

Philip was arrested at his home in [Acacia Bay](/source/Acacia_Bay) on 8 December 2021. His vehicle and electronic devices were taken by police, and Philip was sent to [Spring Hill Corrections Facility](/source/Spring_Hill_Corrections_Facility).[4] His name and the details of his offending were subject to a [suppression order](/source/Suppression_order). His wife Marta and fellow conspiracy theorists seized on the lack of details, portraying him as a [political prisoner](/source/Political_prisoner) and campaigning for his release, including fundraising for his legal fees and protesting outside of courthouses.[3] Name suppression was lifted in July 2022, though his name had been spread through social media since at least February,[7] and far-right conspiracy platform *[Counterspin Media](/source/Counterspin_Media)* had published an interview with Marta in May.[4]

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,[8] he changed his plea to guilty for all charges on 4 November 2022.[6] 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.[9]

Philip also faced a separate $300 charge for breaching [COVID-19 lockdown](/source/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](/source/Magna_Carta) in his defence,[10] a tactic common in the [sovereign citizen movement](/source/Sovereign_citizen_movement).[11] The infringement notice was upheld, but the charge was waived as Philip is in prison and unable to pay.[12]

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.[13]

Philip was released from prison on 8 January 2025.[14]

## Personal life

Philip is married to Marta, a Brazilian woman, with whom he has three children. He is a devout [Christian](/source/Christians) with [fundamentalist](/source/Christian_fundamentalism) views, having turned to the faith at the age of 19. He credited Christianity for him not turning out like his brother,[3] and claimed it cured him of [schizophrenia](/source/Schizophrenia).[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Philip, GJ (24 September 2019). *A Tale of Two Vicarages*. [ASIN](/source/ASIN_(identifier)) [B07YCSQS1Q](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YCSQS1Q).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Dunn, Mark (21 January 2013). ["The case of the cannibal killer David Philip accused of eating murder victim Kyung Eup Lee"](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). *Herald Sun*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-life_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-life_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-life_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-life_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-life_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-life_3-5) Griffiths, Ethan (1 December 2022). ["Childhood abuse, a cannibal brother and Covid conspiracies: The life of saboteur Graham Philip"](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/childhood-abuse-a-cannibal-brother-and-covid-conspiracies-the-life-of-saboteur-graham-philip/EGFJSCKUKJB4JG3D7LWFSHA4L4/). *New Zealand Herald*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-trout_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-trout_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-trout_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-trout_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-trout_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-trout_4-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-trout_4-6) Mitchell, Charlie (10 November 2022). ["Graham Philip: Trout fisherman, fan-fiction author, saboteur"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130396430/graham-philip-trout-fisherman-fanfiction-author-saboteur). *Stuff*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-who_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-who_5-1) Griffiths, Ethan (4 November 2022). ["Who is Graham Philip, the first Kiwi convicted of sabotage?"](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/who-is-graham-philip-the-first-kiwi-convicted-of-sabotage/2WHL72EOE4ZM2L3WNQDBJEYPRI/). *New Zealand Herald*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-guilty_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-guilty_6-1) Bathgate, Benn (4 November 2022). ["New Zealand legal history made as Graham Philip pleads guilty to sabotage"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130065470/new-zealand-legal-history-made-as-graham-philip-pleads-guilty-to-sabotage). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Mitchell, Charlie (30 July 2022). ["Graham Philip is charged with sabotage. That's all we can tell you"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300616031/graham-philip-is-charged-with-sabotage-thats-all-we-can-tell-you). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Bathgate, Benn (29 July 2022). ["Public may never know details of NZ's first sabotage case"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129417838/public-may-never-know-details-of-nzs-first-sabotage-case). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Bathgate, Benn (1 December 2022). ["Saboteur Graham Philip jailed for trying to cut power to entire North Island"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130623195/saboteur-graham-philip-jailed-for-trying-to-cut-power-to-entire-north-island). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Bathgate, Benn (13 September 2022). ["Magna Carta and 'the wisdom of Charles II' form Graham Philip's defence against Covid infringement charge"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129762785/magna-carta-and-the-wisdom-of-charles-ii-form-graham-philips-defence-against-covid-infringement-charge). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Brook, Benedict (16 May 2020). ["Coronavirus causes rise in bizarre 'sovereign citizens' movement"](https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/coronavirus-causes-rise-in-bizarre-sovereign-citizens-movement/news-story/e6868c633245824cc2cbaefc7be1277b). *news.com.au*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Bathgate, Benn (19 December 2022). ["Convicted saboteur Graham Philip fails to get Covid infringement wiped"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130802895/convicted-saboteur-graham-philip-fails-to-get-covid-infringement-wiped). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Bathgate, Benn (20 January 2023). ["Parole denied for Graham Philip, the first New Zealander jailed for sabotage"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131026767/parole-denied-for-graham-philip-the-first-new-zealander-jailed-for-sabotage). *Stuff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Stevens, Ric (8 January 2025). ["Power grid saboteur Graham Philip released from prison but will remain on electronic monitoring"](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/power-grid-saboteur-graham-philip-released-from-prison-but-will-remain-on-electronic-monitoring/WTVG6CVFGRGYDPQDDRVWEJBTZY/). *New Zealand Herald*.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Graham Philip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Philip) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Philip?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.