A man initially suspected of a brazen child abduction attempt was actually trying to scare his neighbours because they were apparently too sociable, a Perth court has been told.

Anandkumar Sivapragasam has faced Perth Magistrates Court in relation to the incident in Forrestfield, in which a man wearing a motorcycle helmet was originally accused of posing as a postman and trying to snatch an eight-year-old girl in front of her grandmother.

Police revealed earlier this week the 37-year-old had been charged with several offences including assault and going armed to cause fear.

On December 19, Mr Sivapragasam allegedly drove a borrowed car with its number plate obscured to his neighbours' home.

A 67-year-old woman, two girls aged eight and six and a four-year-old boy were home at the time.

A police prosecutor told the Court Mr Sivapragasam allegedly pushed his way into the unit, wearing a motorcycle helmet with its visor down to conceal his face.

The man allegedly pressed a toy gun against the woman's face and pushed her, before trying to put tape over her mouth using a dispenser and cutting her cheek in the process.

The prosecutor told the court Mr Sivapragasam had said he "wanted to scare the family into keeping to themselves more", as they were "engaging with too many people in the units".

He said the conduct was unprovoked and "excessive", and called for bail to be denied because it was feared the accused man would interfere with witnesses.

Mr Sivapragasam's defence lawyer said a mental health assessment had found no issues with her client and applied for bail, saying he would stay with a friend.

But the magistrate said bail would be "inappropriate", referring to the "brazenness of the alleged offences" and the "preparation" that had been undertaken in the lead-up to the incident.

Mr Sivapragasam was remanded in custody to reappear in court via video link on January 24.