‘Nunchucks’ wielded by agitated man in Hannah Beazley’s office may have been drumsticks, court told

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.

Smart was charged on Thursday with:

• Being armed in a way that may cause fear
• Making an unlawful threat
• 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 stated he had been a musician for 20 years and was holding claves.

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“People, they don’t understand what I’m going through,” he said from the dock.

Smart claimed people had "destroyed" his head. Prosecutors stated that Smart entered Beazley’s office physically agitated and screaming, holding two pieces of wood tied together. He had a second similar implement attached to his belt, according to the police prosecutor.