Orpheus Pledger, the Australian actor best known for his role on the popular soap opera ‘Home and Away’, has been arrested by the police after a three-day manhunt.
Pledger was wanted on assault charges stemming from an alleged attack on a woman.
The incident, captured in now-viral CCTV footage, purportedly shows Pledger dragging the woman to the ground and stomping on her head.
The actor appeared in Melbourne magistrates’ court on Monday and was charged with four counts of assault.
He was first arrested on March 25 and was held in pre-trial detention.
The movie star was granted the right to undergo an assessment at the hospital after Matthew MaCuspie, his lawyer, argued that his client’s mental health was at risk if he remained detained behind bars.
He was due in court on Tuesday for a mental health evaluation but failed to show up.
Justin Foster, the magistrate, expressed frustration at attempts to accommodate Pledger’s mental health needs.
“I will never make an order like that again … (I) bent over backwards to try and offer someone mental health treatment as they require,” the magistrate said.
Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, leading to a manhunt that concluded on Thursday afternoon.
Details of Pledger’s arrest have not been disclosed by the police.
The actor is now required to appear in court on May 10.
Pledger’s assault case is not his first brush with the law.
In 2021, he was arrested on drug charges and received a good behaviour order.
Pledger played the character Mason Morgan on ‘Home and Away’ from 2016 to 2019.
He also briefly appeared on season three of SAS Australia before voluntarily withdrawing due to ‘erratic behaviour’.
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