Helen Haines’ alleged attacker Brendan Nugent has been charged with dangerous driving causing injury, intentionally causing injury and a Commonwealth offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.
Haines, 65, was struck multiple times by a white Toyota LandCruiser on Monday, October 19, outside her office in Wangaratta, north-east Victoria.
The independent MP for Indi was returning to her electorate office in Wangaratta after attending a sod-turning event in the nearby town of Mansfield on Monday afternoon when she was struck about 3.35pm.
Witnesses described the LandCruiser as performing a sharp U-turn on Murphy Street and rammed Haines against her own orange vehicle. The LandCrusier then reversed and rammed her again.
In what the prime minister has labelled a heroic act, barbershop owner Ricky Jefferies intervened by running to the driver’s side of the vehicle and wrenching a knife from the man’s pocket before wrestling him to the ground and waiting for authorities.
“I don’t think I’m a hero. I was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish sort of way,” Jefferies said outside his shop on Tuesday morning. “I’m humbled, and I’m grateful and blessed to have been there to help.”
Haines lost one leg and remains in a critical condition.
Nugent, 43, was arrested by police at the scene of the crash and taken to Wangaratta police station.
His sprawling Tarrawingee property is a short drive from central Wangaratta and was on Tuesday cordoned off by police.
He will be held overnight to appear at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
More to come.