Australian MP loses both legs in vehicle attack as suspect appears in court

Independent lawmaker Helen Haines is successful unchangeable condition, her hubby says, arsenic fishy charged with 3 offences.

Australian autarkic lawmaker Helen Haines has had some of her legs amputated aft being rammed by a car extracurricular her electoral office, her hubby said, arsenic the suspected attacker appeared successful court.

Doctors amputated the MP’s near limb aft an attacker deed her doubly with his car successful Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, connected Monday, Phil Haines said. They tried to prevention her close limb but failed to bash so, helium told a quality league connected Wednesday.

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“The bully quality successful each this is Helen is alive, and she’s stable,” helium told reporters. “That is the astir important happening for our family.”

The fishy successful the attack, revealed to beryllium a 43-year-old antheral called Brendan Nugent, made a little tribunal quality connected Wednesday.

He has been charged with 3 crimes: unsafe driving causing superior injury, intentionally causing wounded and causing harm to a nationalist official.

He was besides charged with the cultivation and possession of cannabis, according to tribunal filings.

The suspect’s lawyer said helium has a uncommon neurological information called idiopathic transverse myelitis and is besides recovering from a concussion, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Police are inactive investigating the motive for the attack. Australia’s national constabulary commissioner Krissy Barrett said determination was nary quality suggesting any menace to Haines.

“What I tin ⁠say is we didn’t person immoderate circumstantial quality that would person indicated thing arsenic atrocious arsenic happened connected Monday afternoon,” she told reporters.

Haines had worked successful nursing, midwifery and academia ‌before being elected to parliament successful 2019 for the agrarian spot of Indi, which she retained successful 2022 and 2025.

Attacks connected politicians are uncommon successful Australia, but concerns person been increasing successful caller years arsenic online maltreatment and threats against elected officials person risen.