A former Home And Away star who was arrested for drug possession has been ordered to be good for six months and to thank the officer who arrested him.
Orpheus Pledger did not show up for a brief hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday when he was ordered to participate in a diversion program.
On February 19, the 28-year-old was accused of possessing half a gram of methylamphetamine, often known as ice, in Prahran.
He was also accused of having 30 Diazepam tablets, popularly known as Valium, without a prescription.
The former soap actor admitted guilt but declined to enter a plea as part of the scheme, which permits low-level offenders to avoid a criminal record.
The actor was ordered to be good for six months, give $150 to the court fund, and take a drug awareness course by Magistrate Tim Bourke.
Before the accusations are dropped, he must comply with the terms, according to the court.
His lawyer, Carmela Pezzimenti, claimed he was placed on a diversion program when he was 21 in 2015, but no details of the claims were brought up in court.
Pledger was only 21 at the time, she said, and she was unrepresented, causing “a great lot of confusion.” Additionally, there were no longer any records available.
When Pledger left the show in 2019, his character Mason Morgan was killed off.
Morgan was shot by a gang who took over the hospital where he worked during a siege.
Pledger recently disclosed on Instagram that he has been composing electronic music and hopes to start DJing.
