Invercargill Boy Granted Bail for Bomb Threats

An Invercargill teenager accused of sending bomb threats nationwide has been granted bail despite strong police opposition.

The boy, who has automatic name suppression, allegedly sent threatening emails to several organisations including the Department of Corrections and Southland Boys' High School.

He appeared in Invercargill Youth Court on Tuesday after being arrested Monday night and charged with two counts of threatening to do grievous bodily harm.

Sergeant Brett Cronin told the court police were "strongly opposed" to granting him bail.

But Judge Catriona Doyle granted bail with special conditions, including a check-in to monitor compliance on June 5. The teenager will reappear at Invercargill Youth Court on July 3 to enter a plea.

His arrest followed a police investigation into threats sent to educational and public sites across New Zealand.

Auckland has been hit with several bomb threats in the past week. Auckland Art Gallery was evacuated last Thursday morning after receiving a threatening email, which gallery director Dr Zara Stanhope later described to the Herald as a "hoax threat".

Staff and students at Kiwi College in Albany self-evacuated after an employee received an email with a bomb threat last Tuesday morning. That email said explosives were planted inside the building, and allegedly threatened, "you are all going to be blown into bloody chunks".

Finance manager Jay Cheng told the Herald the threat allegedly claimed the Kiwi College facility was "rigged with 22 pounds of C4 explosives".

Police attended and cleared both Auckland addresses.