Suspect in Helen Haines attack named

October 20, 2026 — 10:20amThe man arrested over the attack on Helen Haines has been revealed as 43-year-old Tarrawingee man Brendan Nugent.Three sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed Nugent’s identity as counter-terrorism police and ASIO probe possible motives for the incident which left Haines fighting for life.The white Toyota Landcruiser at the scene in Wangaratta on Monday.ABCNugent has a history of activism in the area, but one source who knew him said he had strayed into “darker” things since his days protesting logging in the local forest.He remains in custody and police say he will be interviewed on Tuesday.Haines, 65, remains in a critical condition with life-changing injuries after she was struck by a car outside her electoral office in Wangaratta.Pictures of the white Toyota Landcruiser, including matching number late, left at the scene of Monday afternoon’s incident feature on Nugent’s social media.Police cars have been seen outside Nugent’s property.More to comeSherryn Groch is a journalist at The Age covering crime. Email her at s.groch@nine.com.au or contact her securely on Signal @SherrynG.70Connect via X or email.From our partners