Brendan Nugent held delusions of being persecuted and was most likely in a state of psychosis when he allegedly attacked Helen Haines according an early prison assessment by authorities.<\/p>\n
But there are no signs to date that he was influenced by extremism, the ABC reports, although investigators had not ruled out a personal grievance.<\/p>\n
Mr Nugent has been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and the Commonwealth offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.<\/p>\n
He appeared before Wangaratta Magistrates\u2019 Court on 21 October, where no plea was entered.<\/p>\n
According to the ABC report, a source said the initial Victorian prisons assessment suggested that he had a \u201csignificant mental health disorder\u201d and schizophrenia was being explored as an possibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far nothing is indicating extremism,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no group, no ideology, no intention.\u201d<\/p>\n
While media reports had focused on his social media postings on Israel, Gaza, climate change and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein there was nothing to link these views to the incident to date.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis posts online are like symptoms of an illness getting worse. When someone\u2019s mental health is sliding, the conspiracy thinking gets louder and more frantic,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersecutory beliefs are the most common kind of delusion, and they often latch onto whatever in the news. So you see Ukraine and the CIA turning up alongside fears about his own safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, given Ms Haines was a long-term friend of Mr Nugent\u2019s stepmother, a personal grievance had not been ruled out.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019d been a friend of his family for more than 20 years, and she was his local member. That\u2019s not a random choice. \u201cWhen paranoia takes hold, it usually pulls in the people around you,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
Helen Haines lost both legs after the alleged attack outside her Wangaratta electorate office.<\/p>\n
She is recovering in a Melbourne hospital where she remains in a serious but stable condition where her husband Phil and family are caring for her.<\/p>\n
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush previously said there was no intelligence against Mr Nugent prior to the alleged deliberate attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had no intelligence holdings against this 43-year-old individual, and there was nothing known to us that would have arisen or piqued our interest or given any indication that he was an immediate threat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said while there was no \u201cdirect evidence\u201d available, he would investigate the alleged offender\u2019s potential links to the sovereign citizen movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s obviously something we\u2019re exploring. We haven\u2019t had any direct evidence of that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike everyone, we\u2019re examining social media associations, talking to witnesses, friends and colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett also said her agency had no dealings with the accused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I can say is we didn\u2019t have any specific intelligence that would have indicated something as atrocious as happened,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
However, she said teams were \u201ccharging almost one individual every week for targeting Commonwealth parliamentarians or high office holders\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is one of our biggest parts of the business, and we have extensive resources dedicated to that work. That includes our national security investigations team,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not only charging offenders where they have committed offences, but we are also intervening early where we see escalating or concerning behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said the alleged attack on Dr Haines \u201ccalls for some soul searching\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnline propaganda is turning neighbour against neighbour. And it\u2019s bloody frightening,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying everyone should agree on everything \u2026 we must all be free to speak our minds. But that freedom comes with obligations: respect for the law, respect for each other, respect for leaders, respect generally.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Brendan Nugent held delusions of being persecuted and was most likely in a state of psychosis when 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