Helen Haines’ husband, Phil, has confirmed that the Australian MP lost both legs after a car allegedly struck her in a deliberate attack outside her electorate office in Victoria.
Phil Haines said the incident caused his wife severe injuries but that she remained mentally strong and was grateful to be alive.
“The good news in all this is that she’s alive,” he said, describing the incident as horrendous.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, where the independent MP is receiving treatment, he said her recovery would be long and difficult but expressed confidence in her determination to recover.
“She is a determined person who will do her best, with our support and love, to recover. And that is what we hope for,” he said.
He thanked hospital staff and people in Australia and abroad who had expressed concern for his wife. He also urged those wishing to support her to donate to the Save the Children fund.
“Please keep sending Helen your love,” he added.
The alleged attacker, 43-year-old Brendan Nugent, appeared in court on Wednesday after being arrested shortly after he allegedly drove his Toyota LandCruiser into Haines outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, about 240 kilometres northeast of Melbourne.
Nugent faces three charges: dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. Police said further charges, including attempted murder, could follow.
He did not apply for bail and is due back in court in February.
Court documents also show that Nugent was charged with cultivating and possessing cannabis. His lawyer told the court that he had mental health concerns, while proceedings also heard that he had idiopathic transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition involving inflammation of the spinal cord.
Nugent remained silent during the brief court appearance.
Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the investigation, supported by the Australian Federal Police, was continuing and that authorities had yet to establish a motive.
“His motivation for this — what we allege is a deliberate attack — is very much a centrepiece of the investigation,” Bush said.
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He added that investigators would examine every possible angle and present their findings in court.
Police said Nugent had not previously been on their radar and there had been no intelligence indicating a threat to Haines before the incident.
Investigators are also examining whether drug use or medication played a role and whether there was a personal connection between the suspect and the MP.
Nugent’s family said in an earlier statement that they had been friends with Haines for many years, describing the incident as “devastating and unfathomable”.
The incident occurred at about 3:35 p.m. local time on Monday outside Haines’s electorate office in Wangaratta. Bystanders pulled Nugent from the vehicle and detained him after the collision.
Jacob and Jackie Evans were among the first people to assist Haines, who was severely injured.
Herald Sun said Haines thanked them as they came to her aid.
“Thank you, you lovely people,” she reportedly told them.
Jacob used a tourniquet from a medical kit in his car to help control bleeding from one of her legs.
Haines underwent surgery following the incident. Her husband said she initially lost one leg and later lost the other.
The incident has shocked Wangaratta and Australia’s political community, with leaders across the political spectrum expressing support for Haines, who represents the regional electorate of Indi in Victoria and was first elected in 2019.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had spoken to her husband several times since the incident.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Albanese said female politicians faced a distinct form of vilification and aggression, including threats of rape.
Police have also reported a recent increase in threats against senior public officials, with almost one person a week being charged with related fences.
The attack has prompted renewed debate about security arrangements for federal parliamentarians.
Federal police said providing individual protection for all 226 federal MPs would require an enormous level of staffing. Instead, decisions on close personal protection are based on an individual’s role and the threat environment.
Australia’s Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, called on the public to respond to the incident with compassion and decency.
“This is a moment for us to pause, and to choose to be better,” she said, urging Australians to support those distressed by the attack and reflect on how they treat one another.
BBC News
