Orpheus Piller, former Home and Away star has managed to escape with only a minor slap.
On Tuesday, Pledger was not even required to front up to a virtual court link in Covid plagued Melbourne where the buffed actor was dealt with as a first offender despite previously being dealt with by the court.
A Melbourne Magistrates’ Court found that the defendant, aged 28, was charged with a crime of violence against a minor.
Mason Morgan (left), a Home and Away-based character played by Pledger, was murdered in the finale of 2019 Season. The uniformed officers caught him allegedly with meth.
Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger appeared in Channel 7’s The All New Monty: Guys & Gals last year
Pledger made the decision to leave Home And Away for music in 2019, and resigned from Home And Away. Pledger is seen here with Olivia Deeble (his former co-star).
After the court failed to provide details, the circumstances surrounding that offense remain unresolved.
Instead Magistrate Tim Bourke learned that Bourke had been put on the court’s diversion plan, was asked to give $150, participate in an anger management program, and apologize to his victim.
Victorian law allows diversion programs to be given to first-time offenders. These plans do not have any effect on the person’s lives going forward.
Pledger won on Tuesday, when Bourke accepted to give Pledger a second diversion program in spite of his previous offenses.
Pledger admitted that he had just over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 30 Diazepam pills.
He was arrested by police in Prahran, just outside Melbourne’s CBD.
Pledger wasn’t required to plead the charges as part of the diversion program. He was allowed to simply admit to the offences.
Carmela Perzzimenti, his lawyer, stated to Mr Bourke that Pledger provided all details about Bourke’s past offences.
She said, “Unfortunately, there was no summary… it just came down to the memory of my client,”
“I spoke also to the mother of my client, who was present at court when it took place.”
Pledger, his cat and videolink appeared at court
Pledger in Channel 7’s The All New Monty: Guys & Gals
Ms. Pezzimenti indicated that Pledger probably had a defense in 2015 to this charge, but had taken the diversion since he was not represented by an attorney and the police had’steamrolled’ the whole process.
In May, MasterChef’s Ben Ungermann was placed on an undertaking of good behaviour and told make a $1000 donation to White Ribbon Australia after being placed on a diversion plan over an assault charge.
Ungermann had to travel to Melbourne, not Pledger. He wanted to see the magistrate face-to-face.
Bourke claimed that Pledger would be granted a second chance to divert because of his six-year-old previous offense and its ‘different type’.
He stated that conditions of diversion would in fact aid in Mr. Pledger’s rehabilitation.
Boorke instructed Pledger take a class in drug awareness and write a note of thanks to the officer that busted him. He also ordered Pledger pay $150 to be added to the court fund.
He should also behave well for the six months to avoid being remanded before the magistrate.
Daily Mail Australia published in July the shocking story of how Pledger ended up wrongly accused.
His life had been on a ‘downward spiral’ before he was charged with carrying the deadly drug ice.
Pledger was found on Chapel Street, with deadly drug ice.
According to sources, they were concerned about Pledger since his 2019 death.
A chiseled Adonis on the outside, Pledger allegedly set off alarm bells late last year while in Sydney filming Channel 7’s The All New Monty: Guys & Gals.
Pledger seemed happy to show his stuff on film for his fans, a glorified version of a stripshow.
Covid was the one who saw Pledger re-invent himself as an Instagram celebrity and part time music producer.
Pledger made national headlines last October with the announcement of a new partner. He was said to be ‘the happiest’ in quite some time.
But in June he raised eyebrows when he revealed a lot more than he bargained for while filming himself in the shower.
The raunchy video shows Pledger briefly showing off his manhood.
Before stepping out naked, he had shown off his abs before preening himself in front of the mirror.
Daily Mail Australia was told by people close to Pledger that they were concerned for him’s welfare, even though it was dismissed at the time as a silly mishap.
At an earlier court appearance via videolink, Pledger asked the magistrate to ‘be gentle’ on him.
Actor James was seen sucking out a puff and touching a black cat in a courtroom appearance.
A close source to Pledger told Daily Mail Australia that the actor was struggling after leaving Home and Away in 2019.
According to the source, Orpheus was exhibiting problematic behavior for some time since he moved back to Melbourne when his character died.
According to sources, this unpredictable behavior was not only continuing but also becoming more worrisome.
The actor has not posted much to his Instagram since July when charges were first made public.