Ricky Jefferies, a local father of three, has been identified as the barber shop owner who dragged a driver from his vehicle and restrained him after the deliberate attack on federal MP Helen Haines.
Mr Jefferies sprang into action on Monday afternoon when the politician was targeted outside his Wangaratta barber shop, located next to Ms Haines’ electorate office.
Ms Haines, 65, remained in a critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery in Melbourne overnight.
The independent member for Indi had been taking belongings from the boot of her car on Murphy St when she was struck several times by a white 1997 Toyota LandCruiser.
Witnesses reported that the vehicle made a U-turn before appearing to steer directly towards the MP.
The mother and grandmother was pinned beneath the four-wheel-drive, sustaining what authorities described as severe injuries to her lower body.
She received initial treatment at a Wangaratta hospital before being airlifted roughly 250km to Melbourne, amid concerns that one of her legs might need to be amputated.
Mr Jefferies reached the vehicle, pulled the driver out and wrestled him to the ground.
He discovered a flick knife in the man’s pocket, kicked it out of reach and pinned him down until police arrived.
Barber shop owner and father-of-three Ricky Jefferies has been hailed as a hero after pulling the driver from his vehicle and restraining him following the targeted attack on federal MP Helen Haines
Helen Haines was collecting belongings from the boot of her car on Murphy St when she was hit by a white 1997 Toyota LandCruiser
Helen Haines remains in critical condition after being struck by a car outside her electorate office. She was flown to Melbourne for overnight surgery amid fears she could lose a leg
A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee, near Wangaratta, was arrested at the scene and later interviewed by police. No charges had been filed by Tuesday morning, while counterterrorism investigators were also examining the incident.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Mr Jefferies on Tuesday, calling him a hero whose intervention may have stopped Ms Haines from suffering further harm.
“At this dark and terrible time, an element of light is the fact that a Good Samaritan rushed to Helen’s defence in Wangaratta,” Mr Albanese told Nine’s Today show. “That person is a hero today.”
He said Mr Jefferies deserved “enormous praise and thanks” for intervening, adding that his actions may have prevented the attacker from inflicting even more serious injuries on Ms Haines.
Mr Albanese said the circumstances pointed clearly to 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 passing where she was getting things from the boot or putting things into the boot of her car,” he said.
“It’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident, someone simply skidding off the road.”
The Prime Minister said the motive was still unknown, but pointed to a significant rise in the number of people charged with threatening politicians.
Anthony Albanese said there had been a concerning rise in people threatening politicians
Helen Haines and husband Phil
‘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.
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