This image is not directly related to the article. [123RF]
This image is not directly related to the article. [123RF]

An Australian lawmaker in her 60s who was deliberately struck by a vehicle has lost both legs.

Helen Haines, 65, an independent member of parliament, lost her left leg and then her right leg to injuries sustained in the attack, her husband Phil Haines said Wednesday (local time).

"The good news is that Helen is alive and in a stable condition," Phil said. "That is what matters most to our family."

Haines has been receiving treatment at a Melbourne hospital after being struck twice by an SUV driven by Brendan Nugent, 43, near her office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday.

Nugent was apprehended at the scene by bystanders immediately after the attack.

He has been charged with harming a Commonwealth public official, intentionally causing serious injury, causing serious injury through dangerous driving, and cannabis cultivation and drug possession. A conviction on the charge of harming a Commonwealth public official carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Nugent appeared at Wangaratta court Wednesday but did not apply for bail.

His defense lawyer told the hearing that Nugent suffers from idiopathic transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition, and is also receiving treatment for a concussion.

The next hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 4, 2027.

Police believe the attack was a targeted, isolated incident.

Australian PM calls attack 'clearly deliberate'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Nugent's actions as "clearly deliberate," saying it "was not simply an accident or a vehicle that had gone off the road."

Ricky Jeffries, a barber at a nearby shop who was among the bystanders who subdued Nugent, said he heard a loud bang with no sound of brakes. "It was so shocking that I ran straight out to the front of the shop to see what was happening," he said.

Jeffries, who helped restrain Nugent and took a weapon from his pocket, said the scene was chaotic. "A lot of people jumped in straight away — there was no time to think about whether it was dangerous. We just ran to help," he said.

Haines worked as a nurse, midwife and health academic before winning her first parliamentary seat in 2019 and is now serving her third term. She has focused on rural health issues, stronger climate action and greater political transparency, and is known as an independent figure removed from partisan politics.

The suspect's parents issued a statement saying they had known Haines, a fellow local resident, for more than 20 years. "This is deeply shocking and completely unbelievable," they said.

Nugent's motive has not yet been established.

Albanese said he felt that political discourse had been heading in the wrong direction. "It is important in a democracy that people can disagree with each other," he said. "That doesn't mean that you should question the motives or the patriotism, or indeed the very character, of those you disagree with."


yul@heraldcorp.com