Police start a chase
Victoria Police have issued an arrest warrant for Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger.
The soap actor was due to attend Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being accused of assaulting a woman.
Victoria Police have issued an arrest warrant for the 30-year-old actor.
They said: “The 30-year-old man is wanted on a warrant in relation to failing to appear for a matter relating to an assault.
“He is known to frequent Northcote and the surrounding area.”
Manager’s comments about fiancé criticized
Orpheus Pledger’s manager has been criticized for sympathizing with an alleged abuser on social media.
Craig McMahon told the Sydney Morning Herald he was shocked by the assault allegations leveled against his client and brought up his mental health issues.
Many were furious with McMahon’s comments calling Pledger a “young man” and seemingly portraying him as a victim.
“For the record, Pledger is 30 years old. I would hardly call a violent 30-year-old man ‘young,'” one person on X said.
“Craig McMahon, you *ARE* part of the problem, your comment is bullshit,” said another. “This is NOT a women’s problem. “This is 100% a man issue.”
“Just when the message will arrive,” added another.
Pledger’s manager shocked by assault allegations
Orpheus Pledger’s manager Craig McMahon told the Sydney Morning Herald he had not been in contact with his client this week.
McMahon added that he was surprised by the assault allegations and that Pledger had been struggling with mental health issues.
“We are absolutely devastated. This is a young man. “He’s terrible in every way for everyone involved,” he told the newspaper.
“I have no doubt that the system has completely let Orfeo down, and I can only imagine how many other people who need help, and who need it desperately, are not getting it.”
Why wasn’t Pledger in jail?
Pledger was arrested just days after the alleged assault in March.
His lawyer, Matthew MacCuspie, argued that Pledger’s mental health was at risk while he remained behind bars.
A magistrate then agreed for Pledger to undergo involuntary inpatient mental health care this week under police escort.
He is believed to have gotten up and left the hospital at 6.10pm after waiting six hours for his appointment, breaching his bail conditions.
It is unclear how Pledger managed to escape while under police surveillance.
His bail application was delayed until Tuesday and he was expected to appear via video link but could not be contacted.
Magistrate Justin Foster said he would not grant a similar order again after “going to great lengths to try to offer someone the mental health treatment they need”.
He also expressed concern that a mental health patient had been left untreated and unseen for so many hours.
Pledger was arrested in 2021
Orpheus Pledger was arrested again on drug charges in 2021 after he was found carrying methamphetamine and valium.
He was given a six-month good behavior order and required to complete a drug awareness course and pay a £78 ($A150) fine.
He was also spared a criminal record and did not appear in court to face the charges.
Who is Orfeo Pledger?
Orpheus Pledger is a former child star who played Mason Morgan on the Australian soap opera Home and Away for 339 episodes between 2016 and 2019.
Pledger rose to stardom as a child actor at just eight years old after his role in the children’s series Sliversun.
He later joined the cast of Neighbors as Noah Parkin in 2011 before appearing in Home and Away.
The actor decided to leave the role in 2019 and was killed off in the season finale in November.
In February 2022 he starred in the third season of SAS Australia, but voluntarily left after just two days.
He left during a psychological evaluation with Ant Middleton and Doctor Dan where they discussed his erratic behavior.
