On the run soap star fled police custody after ‘stomping on woman’s head’

 Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger allegedly grabbed a woman from behind before forcing her to the ground and stomping on her head.

The actor, who portrayed Mason Morgan in the long-running serial drama, was reportedly escorted by police from jail to Royal Melbourne Hospital, near the city’s CBD, about 3.30am on Tuesday to undergo a mental health assessment.

But a court heard he still had not been seen by doctors by about 9.10am. He is then alleged to have just got up and walked out, in breach of his bail conditions.

According to reports, Police are launching a manhunt for him after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The court heard Pledger had been arrested the day after he allegedly assaulted the same woman, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, for a ninth time since 2021.

Security footage of the incident allegedly showed Pledger, 30, grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground before stomping on her head.

Pledger’s lawyers said the mental health assessment could help ‘mitigate future risks to the community’ and have the accused receive the help ‘experts say he needs’.

The actor’s character, Mason, arrived in Summer Bay with siblings Tori (Penny McNamee), Brody (Jackson Heywood) and Justin (James Stewart).

Mason ended up getting caught up in the crossfire during a hospital siege, when a group of mysterious men stormed the hospital with guns in hand.

He lost his life as a result.

On his departure from the soap, Orpheus told Now To Love: ‘I’m so appreciative of all that I got to do, all I got to see, all that I got to learn, all that I got to experience over those almost four years.

‘Look, it was an amazing journey, I mean it’s humongous, life altering stuff. I wouldn’t take any of it back, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I reflect back on it and I just go, far out I had some amazing times.’

‘It was a joint decision. It was between the production moving forward and setting storylines, and me planning what’s going on [with my career]. I signed on for three years and I extended for eight months – I’m just grateful for that! That’s a blessing just in that.’

‘It was a creative decision because it benefits the show the most at this time.’