Man, 47, charged in relation to attack on assistant, student at MLA's office

Halifax Regional Police have laid charges following an attack on two individuals earlier this month at Liberal MLA Brendan Maguire's constituency office in Halifax.

A 47-year-old man is set to appear in court on charges of assault and property damage on Thursday in Halifax.

The initial incident took place on Dec. 14 at Maguire's Herring Cove Road office.

He told CBC News shortly afterwards that a man, known to staff, had entered his office and began yelling at his constituency assistant. He then ran at her and grabbed her by the throat.

"He pinned her up against the wall, he started choking her and then he brought his arm back as if he was going to hit her," said Maguire.

He said that a teenage student, also in the office at the time, ran into the room and tried to intervene, but the man lunged at the student after they threatened to call police.

The assistant and the student were ultimately able to lockthemselves into a back office, but the man continued to smash office furniture, computersand artwork before leaving the scene.

In the wake of the incident, Maguire has been calling for constituency office budgets to be increased to ensure that nobody is left alonein an office.

It was only by chance that another person was in the office that day, he said.

"Nobody wants to say yes to an increase in our budget because it may look politically bad," Maguire said at the time.

"But you know what looks worse? When a woman in her mid-60s, who's about to retire, gets assaulted doing the right thing."