WARNING: CONTAMINATING CONTENTS
A court has heard how a former Home and Away heartthrob turned to drugs after losing a role on a US TV show before brutally attacking a woman.
Orpheus Pledger, 30, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court via video link from prison on Monday to plead guilty to a string of offences relating to the attack on a Melbourne home in the early hours of March 25.
The brutal attack was captured on Pledger’s motion-activated camera, which showed him grabbing the victim’s hair and throwing her to the ground before stamping on her head.
Photos of the injuries the woman suffered in the attack show bruises on the side of her face that “bear a resemblance” to the sole patterns of the Vans sneakers he owned.
The court heard that Pledger had a successful acting career, peaking with 339 episodes in the popular soap Home and Away.
But he suffered a devastating blow to his career when a role in an American television show fell through at the eleventh hour and the actor went into a downward spiral.
Pledger began to associate with an ‘antisocial’ group and used methamphetamine recreationally, which he admitted in court had an effect on him at the time of the attack.
Melbourne District Court has heard how former Home and Away heartthrob Orpheus Pledger (pictured) turned to drugs before brutally attacking a woman
The victim called Triple Zero and alerted police that Pledger was dealing with a mental health incident just before the attack, the court previously heard.
She heard her say, “He’s coming,” before the line went dead.
Fifteen minutes later, police arrived and found the woman lying on the ground. Pledger was nowhere to be seen.
Two days later he was arrested and held until April 15. He was then granted one-day bail after which he would undergo a mental health assessment at Northern Hospital.
A prosecutor told the court on Monday that Pledger warned hospital staff several times that he was going to “kill” the victim.
After waiting about six hours for a consultation, he fled the hospital and immediately returned to the victim’s home.
The court heard that when a family member told him he was being remanded in custody, Pledger replied: “Why? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Judge Justin Foster was furious when he heard Pledger had escaped from hospital, saying he had ‘tried everything’ to get the bail condition approved.
A three-day manhunt ensued before he was re-arrested. Officially, his bail was denied and he was remanded in custody.
Pledger enjoyed a successful acting career in his youth, appearing in 339 episodes of the soap opera (pictured) before a role on an American TV show fell through at the last minute
The court heard that Pledger (pictured) subsequently came into contact with an ‘anti-social’ group and began using methamphetamine recreationally in the years before the attack
Magistrate Foster briefly expressed his frustrations at the shortage of police, ambulances and mental health professionals who can assess prisoners.
Mr MacCuspie said his client had been in custody for around 11 hours before being taken to Northern Hospital where he was left in an ‘aggravated’ condition.
“Even if he seeks that support and acknowledges that he needs it, he cannot get it,” he told the court.
Mr MacCuspie added that his client’s mental health had deteriorated during the 94 non-consecutive days he had spent behind bars.
He argued that Pledger, however, had never been diagnosed with a mental illness and therefore the problem was dependent on his drug use.
The court also heard that his drug use had escalated after he lost the role, but had never ‘developed into a full-blown dependency’.
“(Pledger) recognizes that he has to get this under control himself,” Mr MacCuspie told the court.
Pledger’s motion-activated camera showed him pulling the woman’s hair, throwing her to the ground and stomping on her head (pictured)
Pledger (pictured) pleaded guilty to a number of charges related to the incident and is being assessed to see if he can be released on a community corrections order
He argued that the case was an “ordinary” one for a magistrate’s court if his client’s history as an actor was ignored.
Mr MacCuspie insisted that Pledger would no longer remain behind bars but would instead be sentenced to a community corrections order.
Pledger indicated that he had rekindled his relationship with his father during his captivity and that he wanted to serve the CCO at his home in rural Victoria.
Magistrate Foster adjourned the matter until Wednesday to allow Pledger to be assessed as to what issues he faces and whether he can take on a CCO role.
“At this point the court doesn’t know whether it’s a mental illness or a drug problem,” he said.