Accused in Vehicle Attack on Australian MP Haines Appears in Court and Does Not Seek Bail: Lawmaker in Critical but Stable Condition After Amputation Surgery
The 43-year-old man charged over the vehicle attack on Australian independent MP Helen Haines appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, October 21, and did not apply for bail, ABC reported. Haines, 65, remained in a critical but stable condition. She underwent surgery overnight after Monday's attack, and GSM reported on Tuesday that one of her legs had been amputated and doctors were still working to save the other.
Victoria Police said Haines was struck by a white Toyota LandCruiser outside her electorate office on Murphy Street in Wangaratta, about three hours' drive northeast of Melbourne, at about 3:35 p.m. on Monday, October 19, as she was loading or unloading items from the trunk of her car. Detectives from the Security Investigation Unit have charged a man, and police have maintained an increased presence in Wangaratta. The driver, a resident of nearby Tarrawingee, was detained by bystanders at the scene, and a knife was found inside the vehicle.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that the vehicle had performed a U-turn before hitting Haines: 'It's clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn't an accident, someone just skidding off the road.' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses said the alleged attacker reversed the vehicle and struck Haines a second time before a bystander removed him from the car. Investigators are still examining the accused's motivations; he had not been a known threat, and police have stressed they are treating the incident as isolated, with counter-terrorism authorities among the agencies involved.
Haines, a former nurse, midwife and academic, has represented the seat of Indi as an independent since 2019. Violent attacks on politicians are extremely rare in Australia. Albanese noted a 'significant increase' in threats against politicians in recent years and urged Australians to engage more respectfully: 'We all have a responsibility to turn the temperature down.' The case has renewed debate about the security of MPs and electorate office staff.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 澳大利亚维多利亚州 Wangaratta 火车站资料图，Wangaratta 为案发城镇。照片：WalkingMelbourne 摄，CC BY 3.0，经维基共享资源。 / File photo of Wangaratta railway station in Victoria; Wangaratta is the town where the attack took place. Photo by WalkingMelbourne, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-19Australian Independent MP Helen Haines Critically Injured in Vehicle Attack Outside Her Electorate Office; Man Arrested as Counter-Terrorism Team Investigates
- 2026-10-19Lawmaker Haines Remains Critical After Overnight Surgery; PM Says Attacker's Car Made a U-Turn
- 2026-10-20Follow-Up: Australian MP Helen Haines Loses a Leg After Car Attack, Doctors Fighting to Save the Other; Still Critical
- 2026-10-20Death Toll in Storm Adam Flooding in Eastern Spain Rises to Four: Up to 700 Litres of Rain in 24 Hours in Parts of Valencia, More Than 400 Rescues Carried Out
- 2026-10-21Accused in Vehicle Attack on Australian MP Haines Appears in Court and Does Not Seek Bail: Lawmaker in Critical but Stable Condition After Amputation SurgeryThis story
- 2026-10-21Australian Lawmaker Helen Haines Has Both Legs Amputated After Alleged Deliberate Car Attack, Husband Says: She Is Alive and Stable
- 2026-10-23Second Australian Politician Targeted Days After MP Lost Legs in Vehicle Attack
