Orpheus Pledger: Manhunt for Home and Away star who escaped police to go on the run moments before he faced assault charges

A former Home and Away star is on the run from police after escaping from custody just before he was due to appear in court on assault charges.

Orpheus Pledger, 30, was escorted by police to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, near the city’s CBD, at around 3.30am on Tuesday to undergo a mental health assessment.

But a court heard he had still not been seen by doctors at around 9.10am, when he had just got up and walked out in breach of his bail conditions.

Pledger now remains at large while police launch a manhunt for him after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The disappointment came after Magistrate Justin Foster said he had “bent over backwards” to approve the review by the Melbourne Magistrate Court on Monday.

The former actor – who played Mason Morgan on the soap for 339 episodes from 2016 to 2019 – had been in custody since his arrest on March 27.

The court heard Pledger was arrested the day after he allegedly attacked the same woman – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – for the ninth time since 2021.

Security footage of the incident allegedly showed Pledger grabbing her by the hair and throwing her to the ground before stomping on her head.

Pledger was expected to undergo the assessment in hospital and return to court on Tuesday to have his bail conditions reassessed.

If he were to accept mental health treatment, he would have appeared via video link or otherwise appeared in person.

However, when his case was called by Magistrate Foster on Tuesday morning, he could not be found.

Pledger’s lawyer, Jasper MacCuspie, told the court his client fled the hospital after not being seen for almost six hours.

Magistrate Foster does granted an order for Pledger to be assessed on Monday at Mr MacCuspie’s insistence.

His lawyers said the assessment could help “mitigate future risks to the community” and ensure the suspect gets the help “experts say he needs.”

But on Tuesday, Magistrate Foster told the court: ‘This makes me wonder whether I will ever make this order again.’

He said he was also outraged that a suspected mentally ill patient had been left untreated and unattended for nearly six hours.

Pledger’s bail was revoked and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The court heard on Monday that a triple-0 call from the alleged victim alerted police that Pledger was in the middle of a mental health incident.

The alleged victim was heard saying “he’s coming” before the line was disconnected, the court was told.

Pledger is accused of assaulting a woman on March 25 and has been in custody since the following day. He remains at large

She is said to have suffered a number of serious injuries from the March 25 incident, including hematomas on her forehead, cuts on her cheek and bruises on her neck, back of her hand and cheek.

She told police she “believes he will eventually kill her”, the court was told, and supports police acting on the alleged assaults.

Police prosecutor Olivia Sparrow recommended that Pledger remain in custody because he poses an “unacceptable risk” to the community while he is homeless and reportedly suffers from drug and mental health problems.

Ms Sparrow also opposed an order for a patient’s mental health assessment at a bail hearing last week, saying staff cannot physically prevent him from leaving.

Magistrate Foster also raised concerns about the order as it meant he could leave without being arrested.

“Clinically, he could take his medications and any treatment and show improvement. Then he can be released into the community,” he said.

‘The risk that something else will happen and have serious consequences is striking.’