Using a weapon or an imitation weapon, or threatening to use one, during the course of an assault elevates a simple Assault charge to that of Assault with a Weapon. This charge is more serious than Assault. A weapon can be any object intended to be used to cause death or harm.
One does not need to apply force to another person to satisfy the ‘threat’ element of the offence. Intention to intimidate is enough to meet the threshold of Assault with a Weapon. Assault with a Weapon is a general intent offence, therefore the accused party does not need to have intended to commit an assault. The accused only needs to be reckless as to the objective foreseeability of harm with their course of conduct.