Neighbors actor Scott McGregor, 42, admits he touched a woman ‘very lightly’ in a popular Melbourne bar
Former Neighbors star Scott McGregor has admitted to assaulting a woman last year by ‘touching her very lightly’ at St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade in Melbourne.
On Monday, the actor avoided conviction after receiving a ‘distraction order’ in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
McGregor, 42, has been ordered to pay a $300 donation to charity and write a letter of apology to the complainant involved.
Under the terms of a diversion designed to keep cases out of the justice system, McGregor avoids a guilty verdict and any criminal record.
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski also ordered McGregor to write a ‘letter of thanks’ to the police officer who recommended him for diversion, reports Nine news.
Australian actor Scott McGregor has admitted assaulting a woman last year by “touching her very lightly” at St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade in Melbourne. Pictured: Scott McGregor arrives at court
The former Neighbors star avoided sentencing on Monday after receiving a ‘diversion warrant’ in Melbourne Magistrates
McGregor, who played Detective Brennan on the long-running soap opera, has until December to fulfill the terms of the diversion.
If he does so successfully, the case will be dropped.
Magistrate Zebrowski described the allegations against McGregor as “a momentary, very light touch,” adding that it was “a single non-sexual episode that was extremely minor in the circumstances.”
Detectives last year accused McGregor of “sexually touching” a woman without her consent.
Under the terms of a diversion designed to keep cases out of the justice system, McGregor avoids a guilty plea and any criminal record
In May, the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court learned that police had obtained CCTV footage from behind the bar of St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade, known to locals as the ‘Espy’, which captured the alleged incident.
The vision reportedly showed McGregor’s upper half as he stood at the bar around 8pm on Sunday, February 20 last year.
Police claimed McGregor “touched” his alleged victim who was behind him at the time.
The court heard that McGregor never met his alleged victim and did not interact with her the night before the alleged attack.
The alleged victim had complained to bar staff before contacting police.
McGregor firmly denied the charges at the time.
McGregor, 42, has been ordered to pay a $300 donation to charity and write a letter of apology to the complainant involved. Pictured: McGregor and his wife Blanka
Considered one of Australia’s top young talents, McGregor appeared in Underbelly, Offspring and Winners & Losers, and appeared in 940 episodes of Neighbors from 2013 to 2020.
Fans were devastated after McGregor didn’t appear in the latest episode of Neighbour’s in July, which saw dozens of ex-characters return to Ramsay Street.
The actor and model lives in the leafy Melbourne suburb of Brighton East and shares two children with his wife of three years Bianka Voigt.
McGregor regularly uploads photos to Instagram of his enviable lifestyle, which includes trips to the beach with his young family, golf days and home renovations.