A barber who ran to help Australian MP Helen Haines after she was struck by a car has spoken publicly for the first time, describing how he disarmed the alleged attacker. Ricky Jefferies, whose shop sits next to Haines' office in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, said he heard a loud bang and sprinted outside to detain the man.
Barber recounts dramatic intervention
Haines, 65, was hit by a white Toyota Land Cruiser outside her office on Murphy Street at 3.35pm Monday. Police arrived within seconds of the call and have charged a 43-year-old Tarrawingee man, Brendan Nugent, who was arrested at the scene after being tackled by bystanders.
Jefferies told reporters on Tuesday that he pulled the alleged attacker from the car and removed a knife from his pocket. 'It was crazy, I just ran out the front to see what was happening,' he said. 'He did have a knife. He didn't pull it out. I just wasn't comfortable with his movements, and so I basically just took it out of his pocket and threw it away.'
MP's condition and family response
Haines, who represents the electorate of Indi in northeast Victoria, suffered critical lower body injuries and has lost one of her legs. She remains in critical condition after undergoing surgery overnight. The former nurse and midwife's family thanked the 'swift assistance of bystanders' and emergency services.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Jefferies' intervention, calling him a hero, but the barber downplayed his role. 'I don't think I'm a hero. I think that I just was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish sort of way,' he said, according to the BBC.
Investigation and community support
Police have given no motive for the attack, with counterterrorism authorities among multiple agencies involved in the investigation. Early investigations suggested the driver performed a U-turn before hitting Haines as she was loading or unloading items from the trunk of her car, Albanese said.
Nugent's father, Rod Nugent, and his partner, Christine Cunningham, released a statement expressing support for Haines. 'Helen has been our friend for more than 20 years and what happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable,' they said. 'All of our love and all of our thoughts are with Helen and her family and friends. We would like to sincerely thank members of the local community and police who came to Helen's aid yesterday after the shocking and horrific crime. We will be assisting Victoria Police in any way we can.'
