John Lawrence Smart charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear but Perth lawyer expresses concern for mental health
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.
John Lawrence Smart appeared on Thursday in the WA magistrates court where his lawyer expressed concern for his mental health. He was not required to enter a 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.
He was charged on Thursday with being armed in a way that may cause fear, making an unlawful threat and possessing cannabis. Police alleged Smart “made verbal threats while in possession of an improvised martial arts weapon (nunchucks)”.
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.
“People, they don’t understand what I’m going through,” he said from the dock. Smart claimed people had “destroyed” his head.
Prosecutors said Smart entered Beazley’s office physically agitated and screaming, and holding two pieces of wood tied together.
He had a second similar implement attached to his belt, the police prosecutor said.
Smart allegedly demanded to see the politician while raising one of the implements above his head in a threatening manner before leaving the premises.
Smart’s lawyer said he was known to carry percussion sticks in the community and play drums.
The magistrate Heidi Watson suggested to the prosecutor that Smart might have been holding “drumsticks”.
The court heard Smart had previously been involuntarily admitted to hospital with schizophrenia and displayed delusional persecutory beliefs. He believed he had the “devil inside him”.
Watson ordered that Smart remained in custody for further medical assessment.
Beazley earlier said two of her staff were present in the electorate office when Smart allegedly entered.
“It was confronting,” she said in a social media post. “My staff did an amazing job and did everything right.”
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.
That incident sparked a nationwide debate about whether public officials were sufficiently protected from threats against their safety.
The WA premier, Roger Cook, said state parliament had been shocked by both incidents.
“We have got to start to turn the temperature down,” he said.
Cook said discussions were under way about potential upgrades to security measures to protect parliamentarians and their staff.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at work, at home and in their communities,” he said.
“It’s not OK for people to take out their aggressions, their disagreements on staff in a politician’s office.”
Cook said security measures could be improved at state parliament, but they must be balanced with the need to maintain public access.
The Labor leader said he would support making an allowance available to MPs for security upgrades at their homes.
Beazley is the Labor state minister for local government and the daughter of former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley.
Smart was scheduled to return to the same court next Thursday.
- Australian politics
- Helen Haines
- news
Source: www.theguardian.com
