Wangaratta's regional mayor indicated the incident involving federal MP Helen Haines — described by police as an attack — is expected to leave a lasting mark on the broader community. Emergency workers praised Helen Haines — the independent MP for the area — after she was hit outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, a regional Victorian town, on Monday afternoon.
Police laid three charges against Brendan Nugent, a Tarrawingee local, over an incident investigators described as having been deliberately planned and directed at a specific person.
Dr Haines went into theatre on Monday night for an operation that could not spare one of her legs.
Waiting outside Wangaratta courthouse on Wednesday, Black told reporters that Evans — who had been carrying a tourniquet — joined her in applying it to Dr Haines's leg after the incident, a measure the pair took to stabilise her injuries; both Evans and Black had travelled from Melbourne's south-west. The couple told of having no prior knowledge of Dr Haines before the incident, yet found themselves struck by the warmth she extended — a former nurse and midwife who kept talking with them until additional help reached the scene. Ms Black noted that Dr Haines had been expressing gratitude and referring to them as wonderful people, adding that her choice to offer such words in the immediate aftermath of a distressing event spoke to who she was as a person.
Residents and business owners across Wangaratta asked to be left in peace as the town absorbed the weight of what had unfolded on Monday. Mayor Irene Grant told reporters that locals were struggling to make sense of an event they never anticipated — "they can't believe that this has happened in Wangaratta, they can't believe that this has happened to Helen" — and added that the town, known for having one of the state's highest volunteer participation rates, now faced a reckoning with its own sense of safety: "I think we've all been of the view that this could never happen in our community, and it has, and I think this is going to have a huge impact on us — we believe we're immune, but we're not." Routine returned to the town without interruption, even as news organisations from around the country trained their attention on what had unfolded there.
Nugent appeared briefly before the court on Wednesday without seeking bail. Bail was refused and the case was listed for a further hearing in February. Seated in the dock without visible reaction, the man — aged 43 — heard his defence lawyer raise concerns about possible mental health difficulties and a concussion, though no formal diagnosis had been made for either condition.
A former primary school art teacher of Nugent's — who had also volunteered alongside Dr Haines during the campaign — told reporters she found the unfolding situation upsetting for all those involved. The woman, who gave her name as Jacquie, described the accused as occasionally reserved but otherwise a warm and likeable young person, much like the other children she had known, and said she had reached out to him some years back out of concern for his wellbeing. Jacquie also called for greater mental health and community support in the area, explaining that her motivation had been to connect with someone she believed had long been pushed to the margins because of his mental health circumstances.
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