A former TV heartthrob who was on the run from police on assault charges allegedly stomped on a woman’s head so police could identify the shoes she was wearing.
Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger, 30, is accused of assaulting a woman at a Melbourne home on March 25, in an incident allegedly caught on a motion-activated camera.
The shocking images, published after WhatsNew2Day Australia joined a legal action to lift reporting restrictions, showed Pledger allegedly Grabbing the victim’s hair and throwing her to the ground before stomping on her head.
Images of the woman’s injuries during the alleged attack show bruises on the side of her face that bore a “similar resemblance” to the only pattern on the Vans sneakers she owned, police allege.
Pledger remained in custody after his arrest on March 27, but was bailed on Monday for a mental health assessment at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He was asked to return to court the following day, but it is alleged he simply up and left, breaching his bail conditions, and is still at large.
On Wednesday, police appealed to the public to help locate Pledger, who was known to “frequent Northcote and the surrounding area”.
Pledger is accused of stomping on the woman’s head so hard that he left a print on her face that allegedly bore a “resemblance” to the Vans sneakers she owned (pictured).
Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger (pictured on set) is allegedly on the run after jumping bail while accused of assaulting a woman.
Police allege the disturbing images showed Pledger’s ninth attack on the victim since 2021 and were an example of an “escalation in his propensity for violence.”
Police are asking the public to stop to locate the former TV star.
The alleged victim was hospitalized overnight for injuries that included hematomas (a swelling of clotted blood) on the forehead, cuts on the cheek, and bruises on the neck, hand, and cheek.
Pledger’s alleged victim made a Triple Zero call warning police she was in the middle of a mental health incident, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Monday.
The alleged victim was heard saying “it’s coming” before the line was cut, the court was told.
Pledger, who played Mason Morgan on soap Seven for 339 episodes from 2016 to 2019, was granted bail on Monday so he can receive the mental health support “experts say he needs”, his lawyer told the court.
Pledger was expected to undergo evaluation at the hospital and return to court Tuesday to have his bail conditions reassessed.
But when Magistrate Justin Foster called his case on Tuesday morning, they couldn’t find him.
He was granted bail to receive a mental health evaluation on Monday, but is alleged to have left the hospital and has not yet been located.
Your lawyer, Jasper MacCuspie told the court his client had escaped from hospital after waiting almost six hours to be treated.
Magistrate Foster was furious that he had “gone to great lengths” to approve the hospital visit.
“This makes me wonder if I will ever grant this order again,” he told the court Tuesday.
He said he was also outraged that a patient suspected of suffering from a mental illness had been left untreated and unattended for nearly six hours.
Pledger’s bond was revoked and an arrest warrant was issued.
Despite previously resisting police action over the alleged previous assaults, the alleged victim told police she “believes he will eventually kill her”, the court was told.
Police prosecutor Olivia Sparrow had recommended Pledger remain in custody because he posed an “unacceptable risk” to the community while he was homeless and allegedly suffering from mental health and drug problems.
Sparrow also objected to an inpatient mental health evaluation order issued during a bond hearing last week, saying staff cannot physically stop him from leaving.
Magistrate Foster also expressed concern about the order as it meant Pledger could leave without being detained.
‘Clinically, you could take your medications and any treatment you need and show improvement. Then he can be released into the community,’ he stated.
“The risk of something else happening and having dire consequences is staggering.”