As it happened: Suspect charged with Helen Haines attack, MP remains fighting for life in hospital after leg amputated

Thank you for following our live coverage of the alleged attack on Helen Haines.

• The Independent MP for Indi remains in a critical condition in hospital after losing a leg.
• Brendan Nugent, 43, has been charged with three offences over the alleged attack.
• It has been revealed his family has been friends with Haines for years.
• Politicians and locals are still grappling with the fallout from the shocking incident.

READ MORE:

• Man charged over alleged attack on Helen Haines identified as Brendan Nugent
• Indi MP Helen Haines critically injured in alleged attack: What we know
• Independent MP Helen Haines loses leg after being repeatedly hit by car in ‘deliberate’ attack

Haines remains in a critical condition more than 24 hours after she was allegedly attacked.

Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesperson for The Alfred hospital in Melbourne said her condition had not changed since the morning.

The next update on her condition will be released on Wednesday morning.

Police minutes ago described her condition as "critical but stable".

Haines underwent emergency surgery but lost one of her legs.

It’s understood doctors have been fighting to save her second leg, which was also very seriously injured.

Police said a highway patrol unit was nearby and was on the scene “within eight seconds” of the emergency call coming through on Monday afternoon.

“Victoria Police will continue to maintain an enhanced presence in Wangaratta, including members from the public order response team who have deployed to the area,” Victoria Police said, in a statement.

“At this stage it appears this is an isolated incident, and there are currently no other known threats connected to this matter.”

The man arrested over the alleged attack on Helen Haines has been charged.

Victoria Police said the 43-year-old, who has been named separately as Brendan Nugent, was charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and the Commonwealth offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.

Police alleged the incident was “targeted” and said the man would remain in custody overnight to face Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Audio from an emergency dispatch call has revealed the moment first responders were told about the alleged attack on Haines.

“There is one offender on scene who does have a knife,” crews were told.

“One vehicle has been rammed. One patient is currently located under the vehicle.”

The driver allegedly made a sharp U-turn to hit Haines, pinning her to her branded car outside her electorate office, before reversing and ramming her again. 

The mayor of Wangaratta says the community is still in shock a day after the alleged attack on Helen Haines.

“I’m feeling quite exhausted, I have to be honest about that … I’m still in a state of disbelief,” Rural City of Wangaratta Mayor Irene Grant told 9News.

“I spoke very briefly to her chief of staff and it was a very, very tearful exchange, and we really didn’t say much to each other, but I understood that things were quite dire for Helen.”

Grant said it would take the community “some time to deal with what’s happened” and it was a frightening wake-up call about the hostilities politicians faced.

“I think we always confront people who may not agree necessarily with the things that we say or do. Have I felt unsafe? I’m not sure, really, that I’ve felt unsafe, but at times I have been almost harassed by people,” she said.

“But I think it makes you aware of how you interact with people, you avoid the situations where people might be volatile or might be angry about things.

“And security isn’t necessarily the answer, it’s also about how we deal with our community and also how the community deals with us. Because I think there has been a loss of respect for leadership generally and I think now it’s a time for us to all reflect about how we move forward into the future.”

9News Chief Political Editor Charles Croucher reports on the ramifications of the alleged attack on Helen Haines across the political spectrum.

“There had been warnings but tonight that darkness on the edge of town has spread to the mainstream in the most devastating fashion.

“Australian politicians have been at their best throughout our history when they’re approachable, affable and accountable.

“The events of the last 24 hours threaten that.

“Australians are at their best when they can disagree without dividing or devolving into violence. 

“Different groups are wading through the online history of the accused already, searching for any skerrick that proves they're right and someone else is wrong. In the midst of it all, a local MP is fighting for life and ASIO, the AFP and state police are fighting to stop this happening again.”

New footage shows the moment a panicked bystander runs in front of what is believed to be Nugent's Toyota LandCruiser after the alleged attack outside Haines' Wangaratta electorate office. 

The video appears to show the car reversing away from the MP's orange car as a passer-by runs to help. 

The footage is blurry and appears to have been shot on a phone. 

We now have a clearer picture of the man arrested over the alleged attack.

Brendan Nugent, 43, is pictured at a forest conservation protest alongside other campaigners.

It is not known exactly when the photo was taken.

Nine.com.au understands Nugent holds a Masters of Forest Ecosystem Science from the University of Melbourne’s Victorian School of Forestry.

He is also a committee member of the Save Our Strathbogie Forest group.

He remains in police custody.

CCTV has revealed the moments before Helen Haines was struck outside her Wangaratta electorate office.

9News reporter Edward Godfrey said he had seen extensive footage of the lead-up which shows Haines travelling down the main road in an orange car before a white Toyota LandCruiser makes a U-turn and heads back towards her office.

Witnesses say the alleged attacker pinned Haines between the two cars, then allegedly reversed and hit her repeatedly.