Haines critically injured in Wangaratta and Brendan Nugent arrested
World
Rod Nugent and Christine Cunningham said Haines had been their friend for more than 20 years.
Haines is now in critical condition, and Brendan Nugent was arrested after she was seriously injured in Wangaratta.
They called the situation "What happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable," saying the family will fully support the police investigation.
Former forestry activist Brendan Nugent
Locals are stunned: Brendan used to be a passionate forestry activist with a master's of forest ecosystems science from the University of Melbourne, but had stepped away from activism around 2019-20.
Some had noticed changes in his behavior for several years.
The Nugent family thanked everyone who helped Haines after the incident.