Australian actor Orpheus Pledger – best known for starring in Home and Away – has been apprehended after a three-day pursuit by police.
The 30-year-old was arrested for an alleged assault on a woman and was then scheduled to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday on charges of assaulting a woman, local media reported.
After being granted bail on Monday for a court-ordered medical evaluation, the actor failed to appear the following day, prompting Victoria state police to issue a warrant for his arrest and issue an appeal to the public to help trace him.
On Thursday night, reports confirmed that Mr Pledger had been located and taken into custody by Victoria police. He now faces four assault charges related to the alleged incident involving a woman.
Who is Orpheus Pledger and what TV shows has he been in?
The 27-year-old started his career in childhood, starring in Emma Freeman’s short film Lamb when he was just nine.
He also portrayed Tycho Everson in the beloved children’s series Silversun and Lewis Harfield in the gripping drama CrashBurn.
He has played various roles in productions like The Secret Life of Us, Welcher & Welcher, Scooter: Secret Agent, and Nick Giannopoulos’s The Wannabes.
In 2011 Pledger joined the cast of Neighbours, playing teenage rebel Noah Parkin.
He jumped ship to rival soap Home and Away, moving from Sydney from Melbourne upon being offered the role of Mason Morgan, a positive, family orientated “free spirit” studying to be a doctor.
During the serial’s season finale in 2019, his character was killed off after being shot.
In an interview with TV Week, Pledger confirmed that his departure was a joint decision between himself and the producers: “it was a creative decision because it benefits the show the most at this time. And it gave me a bit of time to prepare for a lot of things as well, so there was no stress. I mean it was just so good”.
Since his departure from TV soap operas, he participated in Season 3 of SAS Australia in 2022. He voluntarily withdrew after two days during a psychological evaluation with Ant Middleton and Doctor Dan to discuss his “erratic behaviour.”
When was Orpheus Pledger arrested?
Mr Pledger was scheduled for a bail hearing via video link at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 23 April but Pedger failed to appear, having absconded from the Royal Melbourne Hospital while awaiting a medical assessment. Two days later, police arrested Pledger, taking him into custody.
His bail has been revoked and the case has been rescheduled for 10 May.
Craig McMahon, his manager, expressed shock and dismay over the allegations against his client, stating that he had not been in contact with Pledger during the week.
“We are absolutely devastated. This is a young man. It’s awful on every account for everyone involved,” he said on Wednesday.