A man accused of making threats while armed with “improvised nunchucks” at a Western Australian MP’s electorate office could have been holding a musical instrument, not a weapon, a court has been told.
uncertain
court → accuse → instrument
John Lawrence Smart appeared on Thursday in the WA magistrates court where his lawyer expressed concern for his mental health.
asserted
lawyer → appear → health
He was not required to enter a plea.
asserted
He → require → plea
Smart was accused of making verbal threats at the office of state Labor MP Hannah Beazley in the inner-Perth suburb of Victoria Park on Wednesday afternoon.
asserted
Smart → accuse → afternoon
He was charged on Thursday with being armed in a way that may cause fear, making an unlawful threat and possessing cannabis.
uncertain
that → charge → cannabis
Police alleged Smart “made verbal threats while in possession of an improvised martial arts weapon (nunchucks)”.
asserted
Smart → allege → weapon
During the court hearing, the highly agitated 56-year-old held his head in his hands and said he had been a musician for 20 years and he was holding claves.
asserted
he → hold → claves
“People, they don’t understand what I’m going through,” he said from the dock.
asserted
he → understand → dock
Smart claimed people had “destroyed” his head.
asserted
people → claim → head
Prosecutors said Smart entered Beazley’s office physically agitated and screaming, and holding two pieces of wood tied together.
asserted
Smart → say → wood
He had a second similar implement attached to his belt, the police prosecutor said.
asserted
prosecutor → have → belt
Smart allegedly demanded to see the politician while raising one of the implements above his head in a threatening manner before leaving the premises.
uncertain
Smart → demand → premises
Smart’s lawyer said he was known to carry percussion sticks in the community and play drums.
asserted
he → say → drums
The magistrate Heidi Watson suggested to the prosecutor that Smart might have been holding “drumsticks”.
uncertain
Smart → suggest → drumsticks
The court heard Smart had previously been involuntarily admitted to hospital with schizophrenia and displayed delusional persecutory beliefs.
asserted
Smart → hear → beliefs
He believed he had the “devil inside him”.
asserted
he → believe → him
Watson ordered that Smart remained in custody for further medical assessment.
asserted
Smart → order → assessment
Beazley earlier said two of her staff were present in the electorate office when Smart allegedly entered.
uncertain
Smart → say → office
“It was confronting,” she said in a social media post.
asserted
she → say → post
“My staff did an amazing job and did everything right.”
asserted
staff → do → everything
No one was injured in the alleged incident, which comes after federal member for Indi Helen Haines was struck by a 4WD vehicle outside her electorate office in northern Victoria on Monday.
asserted
Haines → injure → Monday
That incident sparked a nationwide debate about whether public officials were sufficiently protected from threats against their safety.
asserted
officials → spark → safety
The WA premier, Roger Cook, said state parliament had been shocked by both incidents.
asserted
parliament → say → incidents
“We have got to start to turn the temperature down,” he said.
asserted
he → get → temperature
Cook said discussions were under way about potential upgrades to security measures to protect parliamentarians and their staff.
asserted
discussions → say → parliamentarians
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at work, at home and in their communities,” he said.
asserted
he → deserve → communities
“It’s not OK for people to take out their aggressions, their disagreements on staff in a politician’s office.”
asserted
people → ’ → office
Cook said security measures could be improved at state parliament, but they must be balanced with the need to maintain public access.
uncertain
they → say → access
The Labor leader said he would support making an allowance available to MPs for security upgrades at their homes.
asserted
allowance → say → homes
Smart was scheduled to return to the same court next Thursday.
asserted
Smart → schedule → court
The Aporia
