An anti-Israel activist and radical environmentalist has been identified as the man accused of deliberately driving a Toyota LandCruiser into federal MP Helen Haines outside her electorate office in regional Victoria, in an attack that resulted in the loss of one of her legs.
asserted
that → identify → legs
Brendan Nugent, 43, remains in police custody, with detectives expected to formally interview him today.
asserted
detectives → remain → him
He has a history of activism in the area, but someone who knew him said he had ventured into “darker” territory since his involvement in local forest logging protests.
asserted
he → have → protests
In a twist, Haines followed an X account under Nugent's name that describes him as a 'plant person' and 'pro-Gaza' and states that 'the world should be run by dogs and children'.
asserted
world → follow → dogs
The account had interacted with Haines on several occasions, most recently six years ago, when it praised her stance on climate change in a reply to the MP after she promoted an episode of the ABC panel show Q+A.
The account also features posts about Israel's war in Gaza, environmental issues and, just days ago, a 'satanic child sexual abuse material network'.
asserted
account → interact → Gaza
A photo of a 1997 Toyota LandCruiser uploaded in 2018 shows a vehicle bearing the same number plate as the one allegedly used in Monday's incident.
uncertain
photo → upload → incident
'Would've been nice to include a politician who takes climate change seriously, such as yourself,' the account wrote.
asserted
account → include → yourself
Federal MP Helen Haines remains fighting for life after she was attacked outside her office on Monday afternoon
Brendan Nugent, 43, was arrested at the scene - no charges have been laid
asserted
charges → fight → scene
In a 2018 post, he shared an image of a white Toyota LandCruiser bearing the same registration plate as the vehicle identified at the crime scene.
asserted
he → share → scene
Other posts criticised the government's response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, including one calling Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong 'a couple of US lap dogs'.
asserted
posts → criticise → dogs
Maybe if you had warned israel about its attacks the world wouldn't be where it is right now,' the account wrote.
asserted
account → warn → attacks
Several other posts criticised Israel and US support for its military campaign.
asserted
posts → criticise → campaign
'The Biden administration's 'no daylight', unconditional support for Israel has provided so much leeway that Tel Aviv has no way of climbing down from its stated war objectives, despite having achieved none,' one post read.
asserted
post → provide → none
The account also sought donations for people in Gaza.
asserted
account → seek → Gaza
In another post, it described former female US secretaries of state as 'mass murderers of innocent civilians'.
asserted
it → describe → civilians
The account replied to Senator Wong's statement on the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who died after an Israel Defense Forces drone struck the aid convoy carrying her in April 2024.
asserted
drone → reply → April
'What an insult to this womans life', the account wrote.
asserted
account → write → life
Police and counter-terrorism authorities are expected to examine his social media activity as part of their inquiries
'Help the children of Gaza,' it stated in a post on August 25, 2024.
asserted
it → expect → August
In his latest post on October 18, he pointed to reports alleging 'sexual abuse, including rape' of prisoners 'during processing and detention by Israeli forces'.
asserted
he → point → forces
He also spoke out over environmental issues like climate change and forestry, speaking out against the Victorian government over logging projects.
His posts also covered familiar conspiracy themes, including paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Charlie Kirk’s death and political control.
asserted
posts → speak → Epstein
Police and counter-terrorism authorities are expected to examine his social media activity as part of their inquiries.
asserted
Police → expect → inquiries
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE ATTACK ON HAINES?
asserted
WHAT → happen → HAINES
The independent MP for Indi lost a leg and remains in a critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery in Melbourne overnight.
asserted
MP → lose → Melbourne
Haines was retrieving belongings from the boot of her car, parked on Murphy Street, when she was repeatedly struck.
asserted
she → retrieve → Street
Witnesses said the driver made a U-turn and smashed the vehicle into her.
asserted
driver → say → her
'What witnesses have described is the driver doing a U-turn to get into the car park and to ram Helen against a vehicle, then to reverse and do it a second time,' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
The mother-of-three and grandmother was pinned by the four-wheel-drive and suffered 'severe' lower-body injuries.
asserted
mother → describe → injuries
She was initially treated at a local hospital before being airlifted about 250km to Melbourne.
asserted
She → treat → Melbourne
Nugent, from Tarrawingee, near Wangaratta, was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.
asserted
Nugent → arrest → custody
It comes as details emerge about the hero barber who dragged Nugent from his LandCruiser, kicked away a flick knife and pinned him to the ground, after he allegedly drove into Haines.
uncertain
he → come → Haines
Ricky Jefferies rushed to help after the politician was targeted outside his Wangaratta barber shop, next door to Haines's electorate office.
asserted
politician → rush → office
Mr Jefferies pulled Haines from the vehicle and wrestled him to the ground.
asserted
Jefferies → pull → ground
'It happened directly out the front of my shop,' he said.
asserted
he → happen → shop
'I pulled the man out of the white Landcruiser.'
asserted
I → pull → Landcruiser
Mr Jefferies then allegedly found a flick knife in the man's pocket, kicked it away and restrained him until police arrived.
'When I pulled him out from the vehicle I searched him and found a knife in his pocket.
uncertain
I → find → pocket
I had him sit on the ground and police got there within minutes.'
asserted
police → have → minutes
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Mr Jefferies on Tuesday, describing him as a hero whose intervention may have prevented further injuries.
uncertain
intervention → praise → injuries
'It's got to be said here that at this dark and terrible time, an element of light is the fact that a Good Samaritan, someone rushed to Helen's defence in Wangaratta … and that person is a hero today,' he told Nine.
asserted
he → get → Nine
'And I just think that he deserves enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even more further infliction of damage, which was aimed at Helen.
uncertain
which → think → Helen
Albanese said it was clear it was a deliberate attack.
asserted
it → say → ?
It would appear that the driver of the vehicle that inflicted the damage to Helen Haines did a u-turn in order to get back to where Helen Haines was after passing where she was getting things from the boot or putting things into the boot of her car.
asserted
she → appear → car
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
