A man charged over allegedly threatening staff at WA Labor MP Hannah Beazley’s office in Perth, has told court he was holding a musical instrument, rather than a weapon as police allege.
What we know:
- Police said they had received reports on Wednesday the 56-year-old man had been making verbal threats while in possession of an “improvised martial arts weapon” described as “nunchucks” (The Guardian).
- On Thursday he was charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear, making unlawful threats and cannabis possession. Nobody was injured in the incident and Beazley was not present (The Guardian).
- The police prosecutor told Perth Magistrates Court he had been armed with an “implement resembling nunchucks”, with a similar implement attached to his belt (ABC).
- But the accused insisted to the Perth court that the items had been claves, wooden percussion sticks, which he had been playing for years (ABC).