Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger is facing a nationwide manhunt after escaping police custody while being escorted to Royal Melbourne Hospital for a mental health assessment. Pledger, 30, was arrested on March 27 and charged with assault after allegedly attacking a woman at a nightclub. CCTV footage released by the court showed the actor grabbing the victim from behind and throwing her to the ground, then allegedly stomping on her head so hard that the impact left Vans sneaker bruising imprints on her face.
The actor had been released on bail but was ordered to appear in court via video link from a court-ordered mental health assessment to finalize his bail application at 3.30am local time on Tuesday. However, Pledger managed to escape after not being seen for almost six hours, and his lawyers expressed concern that he had not been seen for almost six hours.
Magistrate Justin Foster expressed frustration at having “bent over backwards” to grant the order so Pledger could receive mental health treatment, saying, “I’ll never make an order like that again.” Police have now launched a nationwide manhunt for Pledger, whose bail has been revoked and a warrant for his arrest has been issued.
A source close to Pledger told Daily Mail Australia that the actor had struggled since his character was shot dead in a hospital siege in a 2019 season finale. “Orpheus has been exerting this problematic behavior for a while, since he relocated back to Melbourne after his character was killed off,” the source said.
Pledger’s actions have raised concerns about his mental health, and it is unclear how he will be apprehended. The manhunt for the actor is ongoing, and the public is urged to contact the police if they have any information about his whereabouts.
