Orpheus Pledger: Former Home and Away actor free to appeal jail sentence for ‘unacceptable’ attacks

Aussie actor Orpheus Pledger has again walked free as he seeks to appeal a jail sentence for attacking a woman during a drug-induced crisis.

A former Home and Away star has been released on bail for a third time as he seeks to appeal his sentence for twice attacking a woman.

Orpheus Pledger, 31, returned to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday wearing a black hoodie, where he was sentenced to seven months of imprisonment by Magistrate Justin Foster.

“This court does not and can not allow the use of drugs to explain violence against women,” Mr Foster said.

“The action of stomping... was unacceptable in any way shape or form.”

Pledger hung his head as Mr Foster said he continues to blame the victim for the violence.

Pledger was a mainstay on Home and Away before leaving the role in 2019. Picture: Supplied/ Instagram.

The TV star was released on bail after announcing plans to appeal his seven-month jail sentence. Picture: NewsWire/ Liam Beatty.

Last month, Pledger pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault, relating to two attacks on a woman in March.

The court was told the woman called police at 1.35am on March 25 amid fears for Pledger’s mental health, with the line disconnecting after she said; “he’s here”.

Officers arrived 15 minutes later to find the woman injured and unable to get off the floor.

She was taken to hospital where doctors observed multiple bruises to her face and neck, with “diamond-shaped” bruising on her cheek matching the sole of Pledger’s shoe.

A motion-capture camera screwed into a light bulb captured part of the attack, with Pledger seen dragging the woman by the hair and stomping on her head.

Parts of the attack was captured by a camera. Picture: Supplied/ Melbourne Magistrates’ Court

The court was told Pledger had previously assaulted the same woman on March 1, punching and kicking her when she confronted him about his drug use and erratic behaviour.

He was released on bail in late April to undergo a medical assessment but fled after waiting in the Royal Melbourne Hospital for 6 ½ hours prompting a manhunt.

Nursing staff later described him as “quite elevated” and told police he had said he was going to “kill”.

Pledger was rearrested in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir on April 25 and returned to custody.

The former TV star plans to get himself “straightened out” upon release and had aspirations to begin making music. Picture: NewsWire/ Liam Beatty

He was then released on bail to live with his jazz musician father in northern Victoria in July after his lawyer argued it was prejudicial for Pledger to remain in custody for more than the 97 days he’d racked up.

Mr Foster had expected to sentence the former TV star on July 3, but instead said it was appropriate to adjourn the case for six weeks to allow community corrections to prepare a report into Pledger’s “complex needs”.

A manhunt for Pledger was launched after he fled the hospital. Picture: Supplied/ Victoria Police.

Last month, lawyer Justin MacCuspie told the court his client had fallen in with a bad crowd after he was rejected last minute from a role in the US series The 100.

He said Pledger’s recreational drug use had escalated during this period and his mental health had deteriorated.

“He certainly feels terrible for what has happened and the impact it’s had,” Mr MacCuspie said.

“Overall, in my submission, he’s done everything he possibly can to prove to Your Honour he’s addressing the underlying causes that brought him before the court.”

The lawyer claimed Pledger still had work to do, but was in the early stages of rebuilding his life.

But Mr Foster said it was now known Pledger began using drugs six years earlier, and denied missing out on The 100 had a significant impact, saying; “it’s just what happens”.

Pledger, the court was told, had denied he was using drugs during the offending and claimed he just wasn’t thinking straight.

Mr Foster said he was “certain” the actor had been using drugs at the time, and found it difficult to reconcile what was said at the plea hearing with recent reports.

“It now transpires you mostly minimise your involvement and blame the victim,” he said.

“Your mental health deteriorated because of drugs rather than any underlying issue.

“Society is completely fed up with violence… fed up with male violence against women.”

Three hours later Pledger returned to court, as Mr MacCuspie said an appeal had been filed in the County Court but could not be heard until November.

Timothy Pledger, father of Orpheus Pledger, told the court he was willing to continue to support his son at his home in Northern Victoria. Picture: NewsWire/ Liam Beatty.

He argued there had been no issues while Pledger was on bail for the last six weeks, and the majority of his sentence would be complete by the time the appeal could be heard.

Pledger’s dad, Timothy Pledger, told the court his son had been having “a tough time” but he was prepared to continue supporting him.

His lawyer claimed Orpheus Pledger feels terrible for what happened. Picture: NewsWire/Nadir Kinani

Mr Foster granted bail, saying that while he had reservations, it appeared Pledger was in a better place than at the time of his short-lived sint of bail in April.

Pledger will return to court on November 12 to appeal his sentence of seven months imprisonment and a 12-month community corrections order.

Pledger began acting at age 9 in commercials and on children’s series Silversun before landing a stint on Neighbours in 2011.

He would later take the role of Mason Morgan in Home and Away from 2016 to 2019 and most recently appeared as a contestant on SAS Australia in 2022.

Originally published as Orpheus Pledger: Former Home and Away actor free to appeal jail sentence for ‘unacceptable’ attacks