On a Wednesday in Melbourne, a family stood between grief and relief, learning that their loved one had survived a violent act but had lost both legs. Independent federal MP Helen Haines, 65, was struck repeatedly by a car in Wangaratta, an event that reaches beyond one household into the uneasy question of how public service can become a target. The man accused of driving, Brendan Nuzum, now waits in custody for a February hearing, while the reasons behind the act remain unsettled, held between suspicion and proof.
Independent MP Helen Haines Loses Both Legs After Car Attack in Wangaratta; Condition Critical but Stable
Independent MP Helen Haines, 65, lost both legs after being repeatedly struck by a car and remains in critical but stable condition.
The main thing is that Helen has survived
Mark
Why does this story hit so hard beyond the injuries themselves?
Mimi
Because an elected representative was struck by a car in her own region. Her husband's words were about survival, that she's alive and her mind is intact.
Mark
The charge of harming a federal official stands out.
Mimi
It does. It reflects her office, though the court hasn't heard why she was targeted.
Luke
Right, and that's the gap. The report says the attack is believed to be politically motivated, but doesn't say by whom or on what basis. Police are still investigating motive.
Mark
What about the mention of mental health?
Mimi
His lawyer raised that Nuzum may have underlying issues, but nothing has been diagnosed.
Luke
So it's a possibility put forward by the defence, not a finding. I'd keep it separate from motive.
Mark
And he hasn't pleaded?
Mimi
No plea, no bail application. He's in custody until February.
Luke
Which means everything about what happened is still an allegation. The amputations are confirmed by her husband; the rest is unproven.
El Pulso
- A sitting federal MP was airlifted to Melbourne after a Toyota Land Cruiser repeatedly struck her in Wangaratta.
- Surgeons amputated her left leg, then her right leg after days of efforts to save it.
- Brendan Nuzum, 43, faces serious injury and federal official harm charges and has not entered a plea.
- Police are still probing whether the attack was politically motivated, while the defence raises possible undiagnosed mental health issues.
- Haines remains in critical but stable condition, and the case will not return to court until February.
On a Wednesday in Melbourne, a family stood between grief and relief, learning that their loved one had survived a violent act but had lost both legs. Independent federal MP Helen Haines, 65, was struck repeatedly by a car in Wangaratta, an event that reaches beyond one household into the uneasy question of how public service can become a target. The man accused of driving, Brendan Nuzum, now waits in custody for a February hearing, while the reasons behind the act remain unsettled, held between suspicion and proof.
On Wednesday in Melbourne, Phil Haines spoke to reporters with the careful relief of a man whose worst fear had not come true. His wife, Helen Haines, the 65-year-old independent member of Australia's federal parliament, was alive. She had also just lost her second leg.
The attack took place in Wangaratta, where a Toyota Land Cruiser struck her repeatedly. She was flown to a Melbourne hospital on Monday. Surgeons removed her left leg first, then worked hard to save the right one before deciding on Wednesday that it, too, had to go. Her condition is critical but stable. Phil Haines chose to focus on what had been kept: she has survived, her heart and mind are intact.
The accused driver, Brendan Nuzum, 43, from Tarrawingee, appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates Court. He faces charges including intentionally causing serious injury and harming a federal official, a charge that reflects Haines's place in the national parliament. He did not apply for bail or enter a plea, and he will remain in custody until a February court date. His lawyer told the court that Nuzum may have underlying mental health issues, though none have been formally diagnosed.
The attack is believed to be politically motivated, but that remains a belief, not a finding. Police are still working to establish why it happened. For now, the country is absorbing the shock while two tracks move forward: Haines's long road of recovery, and a slow legal process that will not reach its next milestone until the new year.
On Wednesday, in Melbourne, Phil Haines stood before reporters and said what his family had been waiting to say for two days: his wife was alive. Helen Haines, the 65-year-old independent member of Australia's federal parliament, had just lost her second leg.
The attack happened in Wangaratta. According to the account Phil Haines gave and the reporting that followed, a Toyota Land Cruiser struck her repeatedly. She was airlifted to a hospital in Melbourne on Monday. Surgeons first amputated her left leg. They worked extensively to save the right one, but on Wednesday it too had to be removed.
Her condition is described as critical but stable. Phil Haines framed the news around what had been preserved. "The main thing is Helen has survived and is stable," he told reporters, calling that the most important thing for the family. He also said her heart and mind are both intact.
The man accused of driving the vehicle is Brendan Nuzum, 43, from Tarrawingee. He appeared on Wednesday in Wangaratta Magistrates Court. The charges include intentionally causing serious injury, negligently causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and harming a federal official. That last charge reflects Haines's position as a sitting member of the national parliament.
Nuzum did not apply for bail and did not enter a plea. He will stay in custody until his next court date in February. His lawyer, Chirag Patel, told Magistrate Alison Vaughan that Nuzum may have underlying mental health issues, though Patel said none have been formally diagnosed.
The attack is believed to have been politically motivated, but that is a belief rather than an established finding. Police are still investigating the motive, and nothing in the court appearance settled it. The incident has shocked the country.
What comes next is in two tracks. Haines faces recovery from a double amputation while still in critical condition. Meanwhile, the case against Nuzum moves slowly, with investigators working on motive and a return to court in February.
Citas Notables
The main thing is Helen has survived and is stable. That's the most important thing for our family.— Phil Haines, husband of Helen Haines
Nuzum may have underlying mental health issues, though none have been formally diagnosed.— Chirag Patel, Nuzum's lawyer, to Magistrate Alison Vaughan
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