Man arrested over Haines attack previously complimented MP

Brendan Nugent arrested over alleged Helen Haines attack but online history reveals he once complimented her The ABC has confirmed that the driver who allegedly struck federal independent member for Indi Helen Haines and is now in police custody is 43-year-old Brendan Nugent. Clues left online and examined by ABC NEWS Verify reveal a few preliminary details about his life and history. He appears to be a longtime local to the Indi electorate who has posted regularly for more than a decade to social media about the environment and politics. A post on X from Mr Nugent's account from April 12, 2018 shows the same white Toyota LandCruiser that police allege struck Ms Haines yesterday afternoon. The vehicle is on a bush track, behind a "road closed" sign. The numberplate, which ABC NEWS Verify has blurred, matches the numberplate of the vehicle in footage from the scene. Political posting Ms Haines and Mr Nugent follow each other on X. In 2019, Mr Nugent replied to Ms Haines directly on the platform and appeared to compliment her, describing her as a "politician who takes climate change seriously". Since that first interaction, he posted four other replies mentioning her on X, with the most recent being in 2021. None indicate any anger or malice towards the independent MP. As far back as 2014, there are instances of Mr Nugent replying to multiple state and federal MPs. In several of his earliest posts on X from August 2014, he messaged the then-independent member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, about logging and the leadbeater's possum. He has also posted about former member for Indi Sophie Mirabella. He does not appear to show consistent support for any political party and has been critical of the major parties at state and federal level. In recent years, he has posted on X in support of Gaza, posting fundraisers and being critical of Israel. Mr Nugent has reposted material supportive of conspiracy theories on his X account. This includes posting a video from US conspiracy theory influencer Candace Owens. Environmental activism Mr Nugent appears to be a prolific environmental campaigner, posting regularly to social media about attending protests, and he has been an active member of the group Save Our Strathbogie Forest. He appears to have worked professionally in environmental sciences and describes himself online as a "plant person," with one post from 2015 referring to outdoors work in "data collection". He has referred online to studying ecology and having a master's degree. An ABN linked to his name indicates he formerly had registered the business name "Eon Plants". Disability claims Mr Nugent has claimed since at least 2022 that he lives with a "significant disability" while suffering from "chronic pain". Despite saying he received a disability support pension, Mr Nugent said in 2022 he was "constantly broke" from costs related to his health and unable to receive NDIS support. He also said he was unable to find adequate housing while being forced to "cook on a fire and wash my clothes in the river". He has posted multiple times about medical cannabis use, but it is unclear if he has used it himself. Records online reveal Mr Nugent attended Wangaratta High School, where he was a footballer, playing in the school's state-championship-winning Intermediate Boys Football team in 1998. The high school's newsletter flagged him as one of the best players in that game. Loading... [Image text:] even if its not the north east 44AMn6.2015