Former Home and Away actor Orpheus Pledger sentenced to jail over drug-fuelled attack on woman
Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger has been jailed for assault, with a magistrate telling him society is “fed up” with men attacking women.
The 31-year-old was sentenced to seven months in jail — a punishment the disgraced actor will appeal.
Pledger arrived at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this morning wearing a torn black jumper and carrying a black bag.
He was led into the cells at the end of the hearing, but was released in the afternoon on bail ahead of a County Court appeal hearing in November.
Pledger’s victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered cuts and bruises to her head, and injuries to her neck and hand from a drug-fuelled attack on March 25 this year.
Three weeks earlier, Pledger threw the victim to the ground and kicked her in the face.
Pledger’s lawyer Jasper MacCuspie said the victim had written a character reference in support of the actor, and that he had been making good progress in recent months to address drug and mental health problems.
However Magistrate Justin Foster said there were several troubling features about the case, including lies told by Pledger and a lack of insight about the impact of his actions.
The magistrate said drugs could not be used as an excuse for committing attacks on others.
“Society is completely fed up with male violence against women in particular,” he said.
“Your actions are worthy of strong condemnation.
“You minimise your actions, minimise the trauma of the victim and mostly blame the victim for your actions.”
The magistrate said Pledger denied stomping on the woman’s head.
Instead, the actor claimed the woman had fallen asleep after he placed his foot on top of her face.
Actor’s drug habit began six years ago, court told
Earlier this year, Pledger spent several days on the run from police when he breached bail by leaving hospital before a mental health assessment, and later failed to turn up to court.
Pledger was re-arrested, held in prison for three months and eventually freed again, after pleading guilty to recklessly causing injury and assault over the attacks on the woman.
At an earlier hearing, Pledger’s lawyer said his client’s drug problems began when he missed out on a role in the US show, The 100.
However Magistrate Foster said a recent psychological report found that was untrue, and Pledger’s drug habit actually started six years ago.
The magistrate noted there had been “intense media interest” in the current case, but said Pledger had also attracted positive headlines and given interviews after he saved a woman from being assaulted in 2018.
“You cannot wax and wane,” Magistrate Foster said.
“You cannot claim fame for good deeds and then complain about any infamy for bad deeds thereafter.
“The adverse media reports of this proceeding will now, perversely, sit side-by-side with those earlier positive media reports.”
Pledger’s three-year stint on Home and Away ended in 2019.
His character Mason Morgan entered the show as a medical student, whose plot lines included surviving a plane crash, getting caught with drugs and being shot dead in a hospital siege.
