Barber Ricky Jefferies restrains alleged attacker of MP Helen Haines in Wangaratta

Ricky Jefferies pulled the driver from his vehicle, removed a knife and held him until police arrived, while Haines was airlifted for emergency surgery.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:17:33 GMT

Australian barber Ricky Jefferies intervened after a Toyota LandCruiser allegedly drove into federal MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office on Monday, detaining the driver until police arrived, according to the Independent and the Daily Mail.

What happened

At around midday on 20 Oct 2026, Helen Haines, 65, was struck by a white Toyota LandCruiser outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. The vehicle’s driver, a 43‑year‑old man, remained in the car after the impact. Jefferies, who had just finished cutting hair for a young family, heard a "loud bang" and ran outside. He pulled the driver from the vehicle, found a flick knife in the man's pocket, kicked the knife away and held the man on the ground until police arrived.

What the reports add

The Independent reported that Jefferies "grabbed a knife from the alleged attacker's pocket and threw it away" and that he kept the man restrained, saying, "I just leant over him and once he was on the ground and he was no longer a threat, I just stood with him and I told him that he can't leave." The Daily Mail added that Jefferies searched the driver, found the knife, and kept him seated on the ground while police arrived within minutes. Both outlets note that Haines was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital, underwent emergency surgery overnight and remains in critical condition, with fears she could lose a leg.

What was said

Jefferies told reporters, "It was crazy, I just ran out the front to see what was happening," and described removing the knife, "He did have a knife. He didn't pull it out. I just wasn't comfortable with his movements, and so I basically just took it out of his pocket and threw it away," as reported by the Independent. The Daily Mail quoted him saying, "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."

How it came about

Felo News previously covered the incident in an article titled "Barber disarms driver after MP Helen Haines hit by vehicle in Wangaratta" (slug: helen-haines-attack-wangaratta-barber) on 19 Oct 2026, noting the community praise for Jefferies and the involvement of local officials such as Mayor Irene Grant and Jessica Bear. The current reports expand on Jefferies' actions and the condition of Haines, linking the ongoing emergency response to the earlier coverage.

Key facts

Helen Haines was struck by a Toyota LandCruiser outside her Wangaratta office on 20 Oct 2026. (independent.co.uk)
Barber Ricky Jefferies pulled the driver from the vehicle, removed a flick knife and restrained him until police arrived. (dailymail.co.uk)
Haines was airlifted to Melbourne, underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition. (independent.co.uk)