The man accused of attacking an MP by ‘ramming’ her with his vehicle has claimed it was accidental after he ‘panicked’, according to reports.
Independent MP Dr Helen Haines has lost both of her legs after she was ‘pinned’ between a Toyota Land Cruiser and another vehicle during an incident in the rural Australian city of Wangaratta last Monday, October 19. She remains in a Melbourne hospital in a ‘serious but stable’ condition.
Brendan Nugent, 43, was pulled from the vehicle by shocked witnesses who restrained him until police arrived. He has subsequently been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official following the alleged attack.
Nugent, from Tarrawingee near Wangaratta, has insisted he did not mean to drive into Dr Haines and ‘panicked’ on the afternoon in question, sources told The Age. He has also reportedly denied suggestions he harboured a grudge against the MP, or targeted her as a ‘proxy’ in a dispute with his family, the report adds.
Nugent’s relatives previously described the independent MP as a ‘friend for more than 20 years’. Following police confirmation they were examining whether the alleged attack was driven by a family feud, as Brendan is estranged from his relatives, a statement from the Nugent family said: “We will be assisting Victoria Police in any way we can.”
“We would like to sincerely thank members of the local community and police who came to Helen’s aid yesterday after the shocking and horrific crime.”
It marks the most recent turn in the case that has captivated Australia. During Nugent’s initial court appearance, his solicitor stated he suffers from a rare neurological disorder, idiopathic transverse myelitis.
A magistrate at Wangaratta Magistrates Court ordered Nugent to undergo a mental health evaluation ahead of his subsequent court hearing in February. He has not asked for bail and continues to be held in custody.
