Helen Haines, the Australian MP who was the victim of a targeted attack that saw a left-wing activist ram his car into her twice, has lost her other leg. Haines, 65, was attacked while she was getting things from her vehicle outside of her office when 43-year-old Brendan Nugent struck her with his SUV. Nugent then made a U-turn and hit Haines again, pinning her between her vehicle and his.
Haines was rushed to the hospital and her left leg was amputated. She was listed in critical but stable condition and doctors were working to save her right leg, which was severely damaged. That leg was amputated.
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇫🇷🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) October 21, 2026Horrific news: Australian MP Helen Haines will never walk again as a result of Monday’s far-left terror attack. Doctors had to amputate both her legs.
Her attacker was radicalised on the fringes of the Palestine movement in Australia. He supported the Houthis and expressed… pic.twitter.com/ug5oWPh2Py
"Her attacker was radicalised on the fringes of the Palestine movement in Australia. He supported the Houthis and expressed support for Hamas. The anti-Israel movement in Australia has so much blood on its hands. 15 dead at Bondi and now an Australian MP forced to amputate both legs. Out of control. The anti-Zionists are literally a biblical plague on any nation that allows their movement to fester," Pavlou wrote.
Brendan Nugent, a family friend, allegedly rammed a car twice into Helen Haines, the independent MP for Indi, in north-east Victoria, outside her constituency office on Monday.
The 65-year-old had already had her left leg amputated because of the attack. She remains at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
On Wednesday, her husband Phil Haines told reporters that doctors had attempted to save her right leg, but had been unsuccessful.
“We had been hoping that her right leg would be saved, but as of this afternoon and this morning, the surgeons had to also remove her right leg,” he said.
“The good news in all this is Helen is alive and she’s stable. That is the most important thing for our family.”
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Haines' husband told the media that "her heart and her mind are in good shape."
— 6 News Australia (@6NewsAU) October 21, 2026#BREAKING 🚨 Phil Haines, the husband of Helen Haines, has confirmed the Indi MP has now lost both of her legs following Monday's vehicle attack
He says the good news is that she is alive and stable and "her heart and her mind are in good shape" pic.twitter.com/FsywdxYPnG
The attack has left many people stunned.
I can’t fathom how hard Helen Haines must have been hit to have one leg completely severed at the scene and have the other one damaged so bad it requires amputation. Like holy f**k.
— Rhys 🇦🇺‼️ (@SulloReport) October 21, 2026
It's clear that Nugent meant to kill Haines. Nugent's father said the two families were friends for years, and Haines — while listed as an independent — supported progressive causes like climate change legislation and sanctions on Israel.
Just awful news. Helen Haines MP now has second leg amputated, her family confirms. Continuing to pray for her recovery. pic.twitter.com/sQjo90SkIH
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) October 21, 2026
Despite the seriousness of the crime, Nugent is not charged with attempted murder.
Is it just me or does it seem a bit strange that Vic Police aren't charging Brendan Nugent with the Attempted Murder of MP Helen Haines. He ran into her, backed up and did it again. These charges don't look serious enough to me. pic.twitter.com/XFHwksmzmH
— Fred 🇦🇺 (@Possum2412) October 20, 2026
Instead, he's charged with dangerous driving causing injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and harming a Commonwealth public official.
According to Reuters, Nugent appeared in court Wednesday where his lawyer argued that Nugent suffers from a "rare neurological condition called idiopathic transverse myelitis and was being treated for a concussion" and that Nugent had "mental health concerns." Reuters also reported that there was no application for bail and the case was deferred until February 4.
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