Man charged over alleged vehicle attack on Helen Haines will stay in custody
Brendan Nugent, 43, has appeared in court over an alleged vehicle attack on independent MP Helen Haines, and he will remain in custody until a committal mention on 4 February 2027. A committal mention is a short court date where a case is checked before it moves to a higher court. The Guardian reported that the hearing at Wangaratta magistrates court on Wednesday morning lasted a matter of minutes.
Haines is the independent member for the federal seat of Indi, which means she is not aligned with a political party. She was struck by a vehicle in Wangaratta on Monday 20 October. Victoria Police's Security Investigation Unit charged a man after the incident. Police described him as a 43-year-old Tarrawingee man, and said he was taken into custody at about 3.40pm that afternoon, after he was initially restrained.
Nugent was arrested less than 100 metres from Haines' electorate office, the local office where she deals with voters in her seat. The Guardian named him as the man arrested. Reuters reported that he faces three charges.
It is alleged that Nugent made a U-turn with his car and struck Haines twice. ABC News reported that witnesses alleged his Toyota LandCruiser repeatedly rammed into Haines, who is 65. Her injuries are described in the Guardian's reporting as including the loss of one leg. She remained in hospital in critical condition, with surgeons fighting to save the other. The motive for the alleged attack is still under investigation.
In court, Nugent said nothing and did not request bail. Magistrate Allison Vaughan noted that he has mental health and neurological concerns and that it was his first time in custody. She asked a mental health professional to see him immediately after the hearing. His lawyer, Chirag Patel, said Nugent suffers from idiopathic transverse myelitis, and that he was concussed.
No family or friends attended the hearing. The only local person in the court was an unnamed neighbour from Tarrawingee.
Nugent's family has said that Haines had been their friend for more than 20 years. His father said on 20 October that the two of them had been friends for decades.
