Around 5pm on Monday (October 23) a man was in a common area of his block of flats in Ballina when a 49-year-old man allegedly approached him and began staring at him.
When asked what he was doing, the 49-year-old allegedly punched the victim in the face several times.
The victim retreated into his unit and called police.
While officers were speaking to the victim inside his unit the 49-year-old man allegedly approached police and the victim, holding a hunting knife at chest height.
He allegedly said, ‘I like to get in first.’
Police grabbed the assailant by the wrist and said they had to ‘pry the knife from his fingers’.
After he was disarmed, the man was taken to Ballina Police Station where he was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and being armed with intent.
He was refused bail and will appear in Lismore Local court today (Tuesday October 24).