An ex-Home and Away actor, Orpheus Pledger, is currently evading authorities after fleeing the night before his scheduled court appearance regarding severe assault allegations.
The Melbourne Magistrates Court was thrown into chaos during Pledger’s bail hearing when he failed to show up, causing frustration among all involved parties.
Reports reveal Pledger left the Royal Melbourne Hospital overnight while awaiting a mandated medical evaluation ordered by the court. Pledger was expected to appear via video link from court-ordered mental health care to conclude his bail application.
Pledger, who has been in custody since March 27 after being denied bail, faces charges of causing injury and unlawful assault related to an incident on March 25.
Police had responded to a suburban Melbourne residence around 1:35 am following a 000 call that abruptly ended. Allegedly, an ominous statement of ‘he’s coming’ was heard before the call was cut off.
Footage presented in court appears to capture Pledger violently dragging a woman to the ground and stomping on her head. The victim sustained injuries including bruising, lacerations, and signs of strangulation to her neck.
The court heard details from the 25-second clip, where Pledger is seen approaching the woman from behind, forcefully pulling her down, and then viciously stomping on her head.
Further allegations suggest that the bruising patterns on the victim’s face and ears closely resemble the soles of Pledger’s Vans sneakers, linking him to the assault.
Despite being arrested on the day of the incident in Northcote, Pledger’s bail has been a subject of contention due to concerns of public safety and the victim’s wellbeing.
Pledger’s lawyer, Jasper MacCuspie, argued for his client’s urgent mental health and substance abuse treatment, emphasizing the necessity for his well-being.
Magistrate Justin Foster expressed frustration over the situation, mentioning the efforts made to ensure Pledger’s mental health care needs were met, only for him to abscond from the hospital.
The court decided to revoke Pledger’s bail, with a new hearing scheduled for May 10. An application for an arrest warrant has been submitted as Pledger remains at large.
In a surprising turn of events, Pledger managed to evade authorities despite being under the care of Royal Melbourne Hospital, raising questions about security and oversight.
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