Man charged over alleged threats at Beazley office

A 56-year-old man has been charged after allegedly entering Western Australian minister Hannah Beazley’s electorate office in Perth with nunchucks and threatening staff, police said. Beazley was away, and her two staff members were safe behind a security barrier. No one was injured. The incident occurred Wednesday, and the man appeared in Perth court on Thursday. Court proceedings identified him as John Lawrence Smart. He did not enter pleas to charges of being armed, or pretending to be armed, in a way that may cause fear and making an unlawful threat. A report from the proceedings said the magistrate refused bail, citing potential risk to Smart and the public, and ordered a medical assessment while he remained in custody. Police said the alleged office incident was not connected to an attack on federal lawmaker Helen Haines in Victoria earlier in the week. Authorities have not established a motive for either incident. Beazley was in state parliament when the man allegedly entered her office demanding to see her, according to her account. She said her staff were shaken but safe and thanked police for responding. The office incident came days after Haines was struck by a...