No bail for man accused of attacking Indi MP Helen Haines; police do not rule out further charges

Summary

Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioners say they have not ruled out further charges against Brendan Nugent over the alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines. The Guardian reports that Nugent, 43, has been refused bail, and that the AFP commissioner condemned a "febrile" political environment in which one person has been charged every week over alleged threats against MPs, as Victoria announces new steps to protect politicians. Both police forces insist they had no intelligence suggesting Nugent would go on to allegedly drive a Toyota LandCruiser into Haines in a targeted attack.

Timeline

1. ABC

   20 Oct 2026, 22:41 UTCSource ↗

   The ABC reports that the Victoria Police and AFP commissioners say they have not ruled out laying further charges against Brendan Nugent over his alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines.

2. The Guardian

   21 Oct 2026, 02:32 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the AFP commissioner called the political environment "febrile" and that police had no intelligence suggesting 43-year-old Brendan Nugent would allegedly drive a Toyota LandCruiser into Helen Haines, and that Nugent has been refused bail.