Helen Haines attack live updates: Indi MP loses both legs, husband confirms as vigil held in Wodonga; more details emerge about alleged attacker Brendan Nugent’s past

Police are not ruling out laying further serious charges against Brendan Nugent, the man accused of attacking Haines, as detectives continue to examine possible motives and his potential connections to the sovereign citizen conspiracy movement.

A trail of deleted social media posts from Nugent reveals years of serious psychological struggle as police warn of a dangerous link between extreme ideology and “mental health vulnerabilities”.

Nugent appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court yesterday, staring vacantly from the dock as he was remanded behind bars without applying for bail.

Magistrate Allison Vaughan ordered that Nugent be seen by a mental health professional as he began his first-ever stint behind bars.

Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said yesterday detectives were still working to understand the “deliberate” attack and whether Nugent had any personal contact with Haines or had been waiting for her outside her Wangaratta office.

Nugent is to appear before court again in February.

Hundreds of Haines supporters, dressed in splashes of orange and holding orange cockatoos, gathered in Wodonga last night for a vigil in support of the MP.

Former independent MP Cathy McGowan warned that the attack on Haines struck at the heart of Australian democracy, revealing that women across the electorate fear for their safety and question whether they can enter public life without facing violence.

“In attacking her, there’s a sense that there’s an attack on our political system, on our democracy,” McGowan told the crowd.

Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage after the attack on member for Indi Helen Haines outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. Here’s what you need to know about this evolving story today.

• Haines has lost both her legs but is in a stable condition, her husband Phil Haines said yesterday, as he addressed the nation alongside Governor-General Sam Mostyn. Mostyn said the attack “must be a moment for us to pause and choose to be better”.
• Hundreds of Haines supporters gathered for a vigil in support of the MP in Wodonga last night. Former independent MP for Indi Cathy McGowan told the crowd the attack on Haines struck at the heart of Australian democracy, and that women across the electorate fear for their safety and question whether they can enter public life without facing violence.
• Authorities told anxious parliamentarians yesterday that the attack was probably an opportunistic strike rather than a premeditated plot as MPs from across the political spectrum say they hold serious concerns about their safety.
• And deleted social media posts of Brendan Nugent, the man accused of attacking Haines, reveal a prolonged period of serious psychological struggle. Police did not rule out laying further serious charges against the 43-year-old as the investigation into the attack continues.