Home And Away Actor Orpheus Pledger Walks Free From Court After Brutal Attack On A Woman

Orpheus Pledger, a former Home and Away star and convicted woman basher, was released from prison on appeal when a judge in the County Court of Victoria decided he had served enough time in prison.

In August, Pledger, 31, received a seven-month prison sentence for a vicious attack on a lady in which he was observed stamping on her head.

In the Melbourne Magistrates Court, he admitted to assaulting the woman twice in March and was sentenced to prison.

When his unsuspecting victim voiced worries about his drug usage and deteriorating mental health, he first kicked and hit her in the face.

She was on the ground when he assaulted her a second time, stamping on her face and dragged her by the hair.

On April 22, Pledger was released from custody after being detained, provided that he completed a mental health evaluation mandated by the court.

The following morning, he fled from a hospital, starting a manhunt that concluded three days later when he was placed under remand in custody once more.

The court heard bail monitors noted Pledger had missed several appointments in the past two months and had exhibited concerning behavioural changes, including being overly talkative, speaking off topic, grandiosity and euphoria, and had self-adjusted his medication.

Judge Tinney himself stated he believed the ‘wheels seemed to be falling off’ of Pledger’s rehabilitation.

Pledger denied he had relapsed into drug use, the court was told, but had not been tested.

“I am ‘deeply troubled’ by the development,” said Judge Tinney, adding that a psychiatrist had determined that Pledger was more likely to commit crimes again if he resumed his drug usage.

“It is said that his relevant functioning has deteriorated to a concerning degree,” he stated.

Magistrate Justin Foster imprisoned Pledger in August, stating that while he acknowledged the actor’s drug problems, they did not justify the violence.

Pledger’s lack of understanding of the offense was another issue brought up by the magistrate.

Jonathan Barrera, Pledger’s attorney, said on Tuesday that his client was still unable to provide an explanation for his attack on the woman, although he claimed to have subsequently expressed regret.

He maintained that Pledger should receive a lower term because of his early guilty plea, clean criminal record, and promising future.

The attorney contended that Pledger ought to be freed on a community corrections order as he had already completed 97 days of pre-sentence detention.

Judge Tinney concurred, concluding that Pledger had served enough time in prison.

The judge overturned the magistrate’s ruling and resentenced Pledger to two years of community corrections and 97 days in jail, which would be considered time already served.

Pledger will be required to undergo therapy for mental health and drug misuse, as well as 150 hours of unpaid community service, as part of the correctional order.

Judge Tinney stated in his resentencing that Pledger had attacked a defenseless woman without cause.

Judge Tinney told Pledger, “It is pretty unbelievable that you would conduct yourself in this way, and it is disturbing and serious.”

He pointed out that the actor had changed the dosages of his anti-psychotic medications without consulting a physician and had skipped mental consultations while on appeal bail.

Despite his misgivings about Pledger’s recent “hiccups,” the court stated that he was still a 31-year-old man with promising possibilities for recovery.

Pledger will be required to undergo therapy for mental health and drug misuse, as well as 150 hours of unpaid community service, as part of the correctional order.

Judge Tinney stated in his resentencing that Pledger had attacked a defenseless woman without cause.

Judge Tinney told Pledger, “It is pretty unbelievable that you would conduct yourself in this way, and it is disturbing and serious.”

He pointed out that the actor had changed the dosages of his anti-psychotic medications without consulting a physician and had skipped mental consultations while on appeal bail.

Despite his misgivings about Pledger’s recent “hiccups,” the court stated that he was still a 31-year-old man with promising possibilities for recovery.

Pledger seemed surprised to hear that he would not be reincarcerated.

As he exited the court, he wore a face mask and a cap and declined to speak to media.

The former actor was arrested the day after he reportedly assaulted the same woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, for the ninth time since 2021. The actor played Mason Morgan in 339 episodes of the soap opera from 2016 to 2019.

Pledger grabbed her hair, threw her to the ground, and then stomped on her head, according to security footage of the incident.

The victim of Pledger’s assault called the police at triple zero and informed them that he was experiencing a mental health crisis.The court heard the woman repeat, ‘he’s coming,’ just before the call ended.

She sustained several serious injuries from the March 25 event, including cuts to her cheek, bruising to her neck, back of her hand, and cheek, as well as hemorrhages to her forehead.

According to the court, the woman told police that she “thinks he will eventually kill her” and backed the police’s actions during the assaults.