In short:
An early prison assessment of the man who police allege deliberately rammed federal MP Helen Haines has found no indication of extremism.
asserted
police → allege → extremism
The initial evaluation of Brendan Nugent says he held delusions of being persecuted and was most likely in a state of psychosis.
asserted
he → say → psychosis
Mr Nugent is continuing to be assessed in custody before his next court appearance, due in February.
asserted
Nugent → continue → February
A prison assessment of the man who police allege deliberately rammed federal MP Helen Haines has found no indication of extremism or links to political groups or ideologies.
asserted
police → allege → groups
The ABC can reveal an initial evaluation of Brendan Nugent, taken in the days after he was arrested, said he held delusions of being persecuted and was most likely in a state of psychosis.
asserted
he → reveal → psychosis
It is understood Mr Nugent continues to be assessed.
asserted
Nugent → understand → ?
Prisoners who enter the Victorian correctional system routinely undergo health and welfare evaluations to inform how they are housed in custody.
asserted
they → enter → custody
A source with knowledge of Mr Nugent's assessment said it also indicated he had a "significant mental health disorder".
asserted
he → say → disorder
It is understood schizophrenia is currently being considered as one of the possible diagnoses.
asserted
schizophrenia → understand → diagnoses
"So far nothing is indicating extremism," the source said.
asserted
source → indicate → extremism
They said that "conspiratorial" social media posts unearthed in the days after the alleged attack — referring to Israel, Gaza, climate change, the Kremlin and notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein — were more likely a symptom of paranoia and his mental health deteriorating.
asserted
health → say → paranoia
"His posts online are like symptoms of an illness getting worse.
asserted
illness → get → symptoms
When someone's mental health is sliding, the conspiracy thinking gets louder and more frantic,"the source said.
asserted
source → slide → ?
"Persecutory beliefs are the most common kind of delusion, and they often latch onto whatever in the news.
asserted
they → latch → news
So you see Ukraine and the CIA turning up alongside fears about his own safety."
asserted
Ukraine → see → safety
The source said the assessment did not rule out that Mr Nugent had a grievance.
"
asserted
Nugent → say → grievance
When paranoia takes hold, it usually pulls in the people around you."
asserted
it → take → you
Mr Nugent has been withdrawing from alcohol and cannabis since being in custody.
asserted
Nugent → withdraw → custody
Ms Haines was retrieving things from the boot of a car outside her Wangaratta electorate office when she was struck by Mr Nugent's LandCruiser last Monday afternoon.
asserted
she → retrieve → LandCruiser
In the hours after the incident, Home Affairs minister Tony Burke referred to witness accounts of Mr Nugent performing a U-turn before allegedly ramming the MP twice.
uncertain
Nugent → refer → MP
Ms Haines suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne where surgeons amputated both her legs.
asserted
surgeons → suffer → legs
She is currently in a stable condition and has woken from an induced coma.
asserted
She → wake → coma
The incident was initially being jointly investigated by Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police who charged Mr Nugent with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.
asserted
who → investigate → official
Investigators will allege his actions were deliberate.
asserted
actions → allege → ?
Law enforcement sources said Victoria Police had now taken charge of the investigation and would be responsible for prosecuting the case.
asserted
Police → say → case
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush last week said detectives had not ruled out more charges.
asserted
detectives → say → charges
It can now be revealed that during stints at inpatient mental health units, staff investigated whether Mr Nugent was suffering from schizophrenia, recurrent cannabis-induced psychotic disorder or persecutory delusional disorder but he was never formally diagnosed.
asserted
he → reveal → schizophrenia
The ABC understands there was not enough information to make a diagnosis because of the way Mr Nugent engaged with mental health teams after he was discharged and during follow-ups.
"
asserted
he → understand → ups
He'd been in and out of psychiatric units and lived with constant pain.
asserted
He → live → pain
Back in 2022 he was posting that he couldn't get NDIS support.
asserted
he → post → support
Each service saw a piece of him and nobody held the whole picture," the source said.
asserted
source → see → picture
"So he slipped a bit further every year, and the people around him were left to manage it."
asserted
people → slip → it
Last week, the Wangaratta Magistrates' Court was told Mr Nugent suffered from idiopathic transverse myelitis, a neurological condition that affects the spinal cord and can cause pain, paralysis, numbness and tingling.
asserted
that → tell → pain
"This is a man who didn't have access to adequate healthcare, he wasn't able to live his life without pain," the source said.
asserted
source → have → pain
Long-time friend says Mr Nugent became 'fixated' on things
Mr Nugent has deep links to Wangaratta, in Victoria's north-east, where he went to high school.
asserted
he → say → school
He was a talented footballer who suffered multiple concussions and it is understood his mental health declined in his late 20s.
asserted
health → suffer → 20s
For a period, he was homeless and during that time was assaulted.
asserted
he → assault → time
The ABC understands experts plan to probe Mr Nugent's head injuries, chronic pain, drug abuse and mental health.
asserted
experts → understand → injuries
Mr Nugent is believed to have started using cannabis when he was a teenager.
asserted
he → believe → cannabis
A long-time friend of Mr Nugent told the ABC the accused man had used medicinal cannabis and other medication to treat his nerve pain for years.
asserted
man → tell → years
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
