A heroic barber has spoken out about the moment he dragged the man accused of deliberately smashing into federal MP Helen Haines from his LandCruiser, kicked away a flick knife and pinned him to the ground.
Ricky Jefferies rushed to help after the targeted attack on the politician outside his Wangaratta barber shop, next door to Haines’ electorate office, on Monday afternoon.
‘It happened directly out the front of my shop,’ he said. ‘I pulled the man out of the white Landcruiser.’
Haines, 65, remains fighting for life after undergoing emergency surgery in Melbourne overnight, amid fears she could lose one of her legs.
The independent MP for Indi was retrieving belongings from the boot of her car, parked on Murphy St, when she was repeatedly struck at by a driver in a white 1997 Toyota LandCruiser.
Witnesses said the driver made a U-turn and appeared to aim the vehicle at her.
The mother-of-three and grandmother was pinned by the four-wheel-drive and suffered ‘severe’ lower body injuries.
She was initially treated at a local hospital before being airlifted to Melbourne, about 250km away.
Mr Jefferies pulled the driver from the vehicle and wrestled him to the ground.
The hero barber shop owner who pulled a driver from his car and restrained him after a targeted attack on federal MP Helen Haines has been identified as a local father-of-three Ricky Jefferies
Helen Haines remains in a critical condition after being struck by a car outside her electorate office. She was airlifted to Melbourne and underwent surgery overnight, amid fears she could lose a leg
Haines was allegedly struck by the Land Cruiser while unloading her car boot
He found a flick knife in the man’s pocket, kicked it away and held him down until police arrived.
‘When I pulled him out from the vehicle I searched him and found a knife in his pocket.
‘I had him sit on the ground and police got there within minutes.’
A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee, near Wangaratta, was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.
No charges had been laid as of Tuesday morning, with counterterrorism authorities investigating the incident.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Mr Jefferies on Tuesday, describing him as a hero whose intervention may have prevented further injuries.
Helen Haines was retrieving belongings from the boot of her car, parked on Murphy St, when she was deliberately struck by a white 1997 Toyota LandCruiser
Anthony Albanese said there had been a concerning rise in people threatening politicians
Helen Haines and husband Phil
‘It’s got to be said here that at this dark and terrible time, an element of light is the fact that a Good Samaritan, someone rushed to Helen’s defence in Wangaratta … and that person is a hero today,’ Albanese told Nine.
‘And I just think that he deserves enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even more further infliction of damage, which was aimed at Helen.’
Albanese said it was clear that it was a deliberate attack.
‘It would appear that the driver of the vehicle that inflicted the damage to Helen Haines did a u-turn in order to get back to where Helen Haines was after after passing where she was getting things from the boot or putting things into the boot of her car.
‘So it’s it’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident, someone just skidding off the road here.’
Albanese said the motive for the deliberate attack remained unclear, but said there had been a significant increase in the number of people charged with threatening politicians.
‘It’s important in a democracy that people are allowed to have disagreements. But that doesn’t mean that you have to draw into question people’s motivations or their patriotism or who they are,’ Albanese said.
‘We’ve seen, I think, political discourse go in the wrong direction in recent times and I want us to acknowledge in the way that politics is conducted.’
Haines is widely known in Canberra and nationally as a strong voice for integrity and honesty in politics.
She played a key role in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission and has been a prominent advocate for rural issues, especially healthcare.
Her other priorities have included stronger climate action, cheaper home batteries and regional housing.
She has urged Australia to impose sanctions on Israel and put greater pressure on the Netanyahu government to end the conflict, while calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and urgent humanitarian aid.
She worked as a nurse, midwife and rural health researcher before entering politics.
Haines’ family released a statement, asking Australians to think of Helen.
‘We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response,’ Haines’ family said.
‘Our family, and Helen’s staff, will be making no further comment at this time, and ask that their privacy be respected by the public and media. Please keep Helen in your thoughts.’
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Key Updates
Hero bystander breaks silence
The humble Good Samaritan barber shop owner who dragged the man accused of deliberately running down MP Helen Haines from his LandCruiser, kicked away a flick knife, and pinned him to the ground in a citizen’s arrest has spoken publicly for the first time.
Father-of-three Ricky Jefferies was back at work at RickyChops Barbershop in Wangaratta at 7am Tuesday, just hours after his extraordinary act of bravery.
The man did not resist after he was wrestled to the ground in a citizen’s arrest.
‘I basically asked him to jump out of the car and got him out of the car,’ Mr Jefferies told reporters.
‘And he just sat on the ground.’
Mr Jefferies does not regard himself as a hero and is devastated about the reason why his beloved town is in the headlines.
‘It’s very disappointing,’ he said.
‘It’s a beautiful town with beautiful people, and it’s sad that this is what brought everyone here.
‘There’s plenty of other reasons for you guys to be here filming. It’s a wonderful town full of wonderful people.’
His barber shop is next door to Haines’ electoral office.
‘She’s a genuine member of the community,’ Mr Jefferies added.
‘She does hold a role of significance, but she still is a local person.
‘She shops here, she gets a coffee here, she pops her head in.’
Albo provides an update on Helen Haines
Helen Haines remains in a critical condition, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
‘I spoke with her husband Phil last night, and she underwent surgery last night,’ he told Sunrise on Tuesday morning.
‘All of Australians’ thoughts are with the family, with her many friends, with her community. Helen Haines is someone of integrity.
‘She’s greatly admired right across the political spectrum. She’s someone who’s characterised by her kindness, her diligence, her intelligence, someone who is so proud of representing that beautiful part of Victoria.
‘And this is a tragic situation, and our thoughts are with her this morning and today, and we hope for a full recovery.’
Helen Haines’ final post before she was struck
Helen Haines presented the Australian flag to local schools hours before she was struck by a car in an alleged attack.
‘Our national flags are powerful symbols of who we are as Australians – our history, our values and the country we’re proud to call home,’ the MP posted on Monday.
‘It’s been an honour to present flags to St Joseph’s Primary School in Benalla, local students undertaking Rotary exchanges, such as Lucy who is heading to Germany, and Kerribana Primary School in Baranduda.
‘I hope these flags inspire pride in our country and conversations about what it means to be Australian.’
Who is Helen Haines
A mother-of-three and grandmother, Helen Haines, 65, has served as an independent MP for the Victorian seat of Indi since 2019.
She grew up on a dairy farm in near Colac in southwestern Victoria before she studied nursing.
Haines began her career in the mid 1980s as a midwife at Wangaratta Base Hospital and was later appointed Director of Nursing at Chiltern Bush Nursing Hospital.
Haines is also a former health researcher.
While running as an independent candidate for the 2019 federal election, Haines advocated for an increase to the Jobseeker payment and strong action on climate change, including a target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
She became the first independent in Australian history to succeed another independent in a federal seat when she won the seat of Indi, replacing retiring MP Cathy McGowan.
Haines is widely known in Canberra and nationally as a strong voice for integrity and honesty in politics.
She played a key role in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission and has been a prominent advocate for rural issues, especially healthcare.
She has also urged Australia to impose sanctions on Israel and put greater pressure on the Netanyahu government to end the conflict, while calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and urgent humanitarian aid.
Haines is also a passionate advocate for healthcare and regional Australia.
‘Regional Australia feed this country, power its economy and keeps us moving. So why are we $9.23billion behind on healthcare?’ she posted last week.
‘Our regions do their fair share for Australia. It’s time Australia did its fair share for our regions.
‘We need fairer health funding and a national plan to deliver the services, workers and infrastructure regional communities deserve.’
Pauline Hanson condemns alleged attack
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has expressed sadness and horror after independent MP Helen Haines was struck by a car outside her electoral office in an alleged attack.
‘My thoughts are with Helen, her family and her staff. I wish her a full and speedy recovery, and I know Australians everywhere are wishing the same,’ the senator wrote on Monday night.
‘Police are investigating, and we should let them do their work.
‘Violence against any elected representative, whoever they are and whatever they stand for, is never acceptable in Australia.
‘Members of parliament and their staff must be able to serve their communities without fearing for their safety.
‘I thank the emergency services and the members of the public who rushed to help.’
What we know about the alleged attacker
The man who allegedly struck MP Helen Haines outside her electorate office has spent the night in custody at Wangaratta Police Station, where he will be interviewed by officers on Tuesday morning.
No charges have yet been laid.
‘He has been held overnight whilst the crime scene has been forensically examined and investigators will endeavour to interview him this morning,’ Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason told 774 ABC Melbourne.
He added Haines had been ‘standing behind another vehicle that was parked when she was struck.
The alleged attacker was not known to police or law enforcement agencies before Monday afternoon.
‘There’s certainly no recent intelligence that I’m aware of that put him on our radar, so to speak,’ Supt Mason said.
Anyone who was in the vicinity of Murphy Street in Wangaratta about 3.35pm on Monday and may have witnessed the vehicles involved in the incident are urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
‘If you have dashcam fitted to your motor vehicle, which may have captured the vehicles involved of this incident, to also make contact with police,’ Supt Mason said.
‘And if I could also say that at this stage, we are certainly treating this as an isolated incident, and there’s no intelligence that we are aware of to indicate that there is any further or ongoing threat to any individual or the broader community.’
New details emerge about hero bystander
The Good Samaritan bystander who leapt to MP Helen Haines’ aid and pulled the driver from his car to perform a citizen’s arrest has been identified as a local barber owner.
Father-of-three Ricky Jefferies leapt into action after witnessing the crash outside his Wangaratta barber shop next to the MP’s office.
With no thought for his own safety, Mr Jefferies pulled the man from the driver’s seat of the vehicle and wrestled him to the ground.
He found a flick knife in the man’s pocket, which he kicked away and held the man down until police arrived.
‘Richard overpowered him, searched him and found a knife in his pocket and threw it away. And then took him to the ground,’ his sister Tanya told Sunrise.
‘It’s a terrifying incident and shocking and we’re still kind of processing it, and I’m so scared of what could have happened.
‘Ricky didn’t end up being hurt, but it was such a serious incident.
He put himself in such danger along with everybody else who helped.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Mr Jefferies on Tuesday morning.
‘It’s got to be said here that at this dark and terrible time, an element of light is the fact that a Good Samaritan, someone rushed to Helen’s defence in Wangaratta … and that person is a hero today,’ Albanese told Nine’s Today show.
‘And I just think that he deserves enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even more further infliction of damage, which was aimed at Helen.’
Fellow local business owner Jessica Bear added: ‘He’s such a selfless person, and it definitely needs to be known about his bravery.
‘Ricky raced out when he thought that it was just a car accident, and he apprehended the man that was in the vehicle.’
