Former WA premier's son to stand trial

A son of former West Australian premier Colin Barnett is fighting a charge of breaching a violence restraining order.

Through his defence lawyer Patti Chong, Sam Barnett faced Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea over the alleged incident on September 1 in Claremont.

He is scheduled to face trial on March 13.

Barnett has previously faced court for his actions during an argument with his ex-girlfriend at a Queensland hotel in 2016.

The then-26-year-old was fined $1500 after pleading guilty to damaging the laptop and mobile phone of Melissa Garbin during a dispute over messages stored on the devices while on holiday on the Gold Coast.

He hit the headlines again that year for having his father's image on a screen behind him while giving a presentation to property investors in China.

The trip included a tumultuous break-up with his then-girlfriend, model Samantha Shvetsova, which resulted in him being issued with a 72-hour restraining order when he returned to Perth.

The previous year was also a tough one for Barnett as he was repeatedly punched in the face by a stranger at a Northbridge nightclub and had his Porsche deliberately scratched.