Australian lawmaker Helen Haines had both legs amputated after a vehicle struck her outside her office, her husband, Phil Haines, said Wednesday, as the accused driver appeared in court.
The hospital said Haines remained in critical condition. Haines, 65, is the independent federal lawmaker for Indi. Brendan Nugent, 43, appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court over the Oct. 19 collision in Wangaratta, Victoria.
In connection with the strike, Victoria Police charged Nugent with causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, intentionally causing serious injury and dangerous driving causing serious injury. Court documents reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation also list separate charges of cultivating and possessing cannabis, bringing the total to five.
Police allege the collision was targeted and said it appeared isolated. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said investigators did not currently know of direct personal contact between Nugent and Haines, but had not ruled it out. He acknowledged reports of social media interaction. Police have not established a motive.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said her agency had received no specific warning of a threat to Haines before the collision.
Nugent did not seek bail. Magistrate Allison Vaughan said police would complete their evidence brief by Dec. 24 and set a committal mention for Feb. 4, 2027.
