John Lawrence Smart: Man accused of threatening WA minister Hannah Beazley’s staffers faces court

The man accused of entering WA minister Hannah Beazley’s electorate office and threatening her staff with makeshift nunchucks has a lengthy history of mental ill-health, a court has been told.

John Lawrence Smart is accused of attending Ms Beazley’s Victoria Park office with “homemade nunchucks” comprising two pieces of wood tied together, and a “second similar implement attached to his belt” just after 1pm on Wednesday.

Perth Magistrates Court was told the 56-year-old was visibly agitated and aggressive — demanding to speak to Ms Beazley.

He allegedly began shouting at the two staff members in the office, before pointing and raising the wooden sticks at them.

Mr Smart was advised to leave the premises or police would be called, which he allegedly did not comply with, before a staff member triggered the office duress alarm.

Police attended and arrested Mr Smart a short time later at his nearby home in Bentley. Bodycam footage released by police showed the improvised nunchucks being seized as evidence.

He was charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear, making a threat to unlawfully do an act and possessing cannabis.

Mr Smart remained visibly agitated during his appearance in court on Thursday, holding his head in his hands and muttering to himself.

He told the court the “nunchucks” were actually claves, a traditional hand percussion instrument made of short, cylindrical wooden sticks.

“I’ve been playing them for eight years!” he said in the dock.

“They don’t understand what I’ve been going through . . . I’ve got the holy grail.”

A mental health assessment ordered by court duty lawyers revealed Mr Smart suffered from schizophrenia and had 20 admissions to the Bentley Mental Health Service since 2011.

The report said Mr Smart suffered from persecutorial beliefs, and that he was often highly paranoid, hostile and aggressive, and was difficult to manage in the community.

It was recommended he be put on the waitlist for a bed at the Frankland Centre, the State’s forensic mental health service.

Mr Smart was remanded in custody until next Thursday, with a hospital order to be made to admit him as an involuntary mental health patient.

The shock incident comes just days after the horrifying attack on federal Indi MP Helen Haines, who was allegedly rammed by Brendan Nugent, 43, outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday.

Premier Roger Cook, other political party leaders and presiding officers attended a briefing with WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch on Thursday evening regarding security for elected members.

Ms Beazley, who is Minister for Local Government, Disability Services, Volunteering, Youth and Gascoyne, described the situation as a “rattling” for all involved, but said it was not the first time she’d received threats.

“It was a confronting situation for my two staff members who were present at the time, and I thank the police officers who attended for their quick response and action taken to take the person into custody,” she said in a statement on Thursday.

“This is now a matter before the courts, so I won’t comment on the specifics of the incident any further.”

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