Wire reporting: (AP, via Japan Today)

PERTH, Australia — A man was charged Thursday after an alleged threat at the electorate office of Western Australia minister Hannah Beazley, days after federal lawmaker Helen Haines was critically injured when a vehicle struck her in Victoria, Global News reported, citing court and police accounts³.

Prosecutors told a Perth court that John Lawrence Smart, 56, entered Beazley's office Wednesday screaming and demanding to see her³. Western Australia Police said he allegedly made verbal threats while possessing an improvised martial arts weapon described as nunchucks³. Beazley was not there; two staff members stayed behind a security barrier and no one was hurt³.

Smart did not enter pleas to charges of being armed, or pretending to be armed, in a way that may cause fear and of making an unlawful threat³. In court he said he had been holding claves, wooden percussion sticks, not nunchucks³. Magistrate Heidi Watson refused bail, citing risk, and ordered a medical assessment; reporting said he had previously been involuntarily admitted with schizophrenia³.

Beazley thanked police and staff on Facebook and said she would not comment further because the matter was before the courts³. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the week awful in politics and said the Beazley incident coming so soon after Haines was heartbreaking³. There was no allegation Smart's conduct was connected to the Victoria case³.

Victoria Police have charged Brendan Nugent, 43, with intentionally causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official after a vehicle struck Haines, 65, outside her office Monday³. He did not enter a plea and remains in custody³. Haines's husband said both of her legs were amputated and that she was alive and stable³.