Claims extracted
24
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
21%
5 of 24 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
6
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
A man charged over an allegedly threatening incident at Labor MP Hannah Beazley's office has told a Perth court he was holding a musical instrument, not a weapon, as police allege.
uncertain
police → charge → instrument
John Lawrence Smart is accused of making threats at Ms Beazley's electorate office in inner-city Victoria Park on Wednesday while in the possession of an "improvised martial arts weapon".
asserted
Smart → accuse → weapon
The police prosecutor told Perth Magistrates Court he was armed with an "implement resembling nunchucks", and had a second, similar implement attached to his belt.
asserted
he → tell → belt
He said Mr Smart was "shouting and screaming at staff".
asserted
Smart → say → staff
But Mr Smart said the items were claves, wooden percussion sticks, which he had been playing for years.
asserted
he → say → years
Holding his head in his hands during the hearing, Mr Smart referenced "the holy grail", and made claims about people who he said had "destroyed" his head.
"
uncertain
he → hold → head
They don't understand what I'm going through," he said at one point.
asserted
he → understand → point
Mental health history
The 56-year-old has been charged with being armed to cause fear, making a threat and possessing cannabis.
asserted
old → charge → cannabis
The magistrate said she had been given a "multi-page mental health assessment".
asserted
she → say → assessment
She said Mr Smart had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had been an involuntary mental health patient in the past.
asserted
Smart → say → past
The court heard he often played "drumsticks" in public and thought the government was "attempting to target or pursue him".
asserted
government → hear → him
The magistrate refused bail and he will appear in court again on October 29.
asserted
he → refuse → October
The court heard he may be put on the wait list for the Frankland psychiatric facility.
uncertain
he → hear → facility
'Menacing' threats
Speaking earlier today outside parliament, Ms Beazley said Wednesday's incident was not the first time she has faced "very menacing" threats.
asserted
she → speak → threats
Her comments came as WA Police released vision of Mr Smart's arrest, showing the wooden implements police allege he used.
asserted
he → come → implements
It comes just days after federal independent MP Helen Haines was left fighting for her life after losing both of her legs when a man allegedly ran into her with his car outside her Victorian electorate office.
uncertain
man → come → office
Ms Beazley said her staff had been "absolutely exemplary" in handling the incident and assisting police.
asserted
staff → say → police
I also could not be more worried about them," she told reporters.
uncertain
she → tell → reporters
Incident prompts rethink
asserted
Incident → prompt → rethink
Ms Beazley, the Disability Affairs and Local Government Minister, said this type of incident was "not new" for her staff, but it had prompted a rethink.
asserted
it → say → rethink
"Just a couple of weeks ago I instructed the police to drop an issue when I had been getting very menacing threats online," she said.
asserted
she → instruct → threats
"But I dropped it because I just didn't have the time to deal with it.
asserted
I → drop → it
"And really, I'll probably be picking that up again because it's also up to people like me to pursue these matters, to ensure that they aren't normalised and they aren't acceptable in the community."
asserted
they → pick → community
Ms Beazley said despite offering to close the office today, her staff had chosen to keep working, adding she was "heartened" by the messages of support she had received.
asserted
she → say → support
The Aporia
