Man charged with three offences over alleged attack on Australian MP Helen Haines
Victoria police have charged 43-year-old Brendan Nugent over the alleged attack on independent federal MP Helen Haines. She remains in a critical but stable condition in a Melbourne hospital.
Police in the Australian state of Victoria have laid three charges against 43-year-old Brendan Nugent over an alleged attack on Helen Haines, the independent federal MP for the electorate of Indi. The incident took place on Monday, 19 October, outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, in the state's north.
According to police, Nugent, a resident of Tarrawingee, was arrested on Monday afternoon. He has been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and the Commonwealth offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. He is to be held overnight and appear at Wangaratta magistrates court on Wednesday. Police said it would be alleged that the attack was targeted.
The MP's condition
Police allege the man struck Haines with a Toyota LandCruiser. She was airlifted to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne for emergency surgery and remains in a critical but stable condition. She has lost one leg, and on Tuesday surgeons were working to save the other.
Police response
In a statement released late on Tuesday, police said one of their highway patrol officers reached the scene just eight seconds after emergency services were called. A search warrant was executed that morning at Nugent's property on Great Alpine Road.
Victoria police will keep an enhanced presence in Wangaratta, including members of the Public Order Response Team who have been deployed there. Police said that at this stage the incident appears to be isolated, and there are no other known threats connected to the matter.
