Court bomb threats: Police confirm third court was also targeted

• Wellington and Palmerston North District Courts were evacuated yesterday following alleged bomb threats.
• Police have now confirmed the Wellington High Court also received a threat, but did not evacuate.
• A lawyer has described the moment the first threat came in and the court was emptied.

Police have confirmed three courts in total were targeted with threats yesterday, sparking evacuations at two of them.

Wellington and Palmerston North District Courts were both cleared yesterday, with police saying they were responding to “incidents”.

A spokeswoman today confirmed they were “threats” but would not specify what type of threats or how the threats were made.

She also confirmed the Wellington High Court received a threat as well, but did not evacuate.

Defence lawyer Marty Robinson told the Herald he was in the Wellington District Court yesterday morning and had popped out of the courtroom to look for a client when the evacuation began.

“There was a stressed security guard strolling towards me saying ‘you’ve got to get out, everyone’s got to get out,‘” he said.

There were no announcements over the speakers, but security staff were verbally instructing people to leave the building.

“We all emptied onto the street and were slowly pushed further and further away from the building ... a couple of people said ‘I wonder if it’s a bomb threat’.”

The Wellington District Court was evacuated yesterday. Photo / Chris Knox

Evacuated staff could be seen gathered outside the Supreme Court nearby. Photo / Chris Knox

Robinson said a staff member outside informed him a bomb threat had been received.

A witness at the scene yesterday also told the Herald a warden also told him it was a bomb threat.

The man was walking past the scene and said evacuated staff could be seen gathered outside the Supreme Court nearby, with a noticeable police presence in the area.

He said the first thing that alerted him to the situation was a police vehicle driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

He said streets surrounding the court were closed, and there appeared to be about 60-80 people “milling around”.

The Supreme Court was not affected, but police said the Palmerston North District Court later was.

Shortly before 1.30pm police confirmed officers had been stood down from both courts and people were allowed back inside both courthouses.