Who is Brendan Nugent? Suspect charged over attack on Australian MP Helen Haines
The man charged with deliberately driving into Australian lawmaker Helen Haines has been identified as an environmental campaigner from nearby Tarrawingee whose family had been friends with the MP for years.
Dr Haines, 65, has had both legs amputated since being rammed by a car outside her electoral office in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, her husband said on Wednesday as the man accused of the attack appeared in court.
Doctors amputated Haines’ left leg after she was struck twice while unloading her car on Monday, Phil Haines said. They worked for days to save her right leg but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Brendan Nugent, a 43-year-old resident of a rural town within Haines’ electorate, has been charged with three offences: dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and causing harm to a public official.
Additional charges of cannabis cultivation and possession have also been laid against Nugent, court filings showed.
“The good news in all this is Helen is alive and she’s stable,” Mr Haines told a press conference in Melborne. “That is the most important thing for our family.”
The suspect’s father, Rod Nugent, and his partner, Christine Cunningham, said earlier that the attack was “devastating and unfathomable”.
“Helen Haines is a deeply respected, valued and much loved member of our local community,” they said on Tuesday.
“Helen has been our friend for more than 20 years and what happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable. All of our love and all of our thoughts are with Helen and her family and friends.
“We would like to sincerely thank members of the local community and police who came to Helen’s aid yesterday after the shocking and horrific crime. We will be assisting Victoria Police in any way we can.”
During a brief court appearance on Wednesday, the accused’s lawyer said his client suffers from a rare neurological condition called idiopathic transverse myelitis and was also being treated for concussion, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. His lawyer told the magistrate his client had some mental health concerns and that it was his first time in custody.
There was no application for bail, and the case was deferred until February 4. Anti-terrorism police are among the agencies investigating the incident. While police allege the attack was “targeted,” they believe it was an isolated incident.
Brendan Nugent, 43, was arrested at the scene on Monday after being detained by a witness to the incident, according to Australia’s ABC.
The campaigner, from nearby Tarrawingee, appeared to be a “longtime local” to the Indi electorate that Haines had served since 2019, the broadcaster reported.
