Felix Dean has fallen hard and fast since his days as a Home and Away child star
Home and Away child star Felix Dean summed up his sad descent into crime and drug abuse in a recent social media post by saying this: ‘from the good life to struggle street’.
Eighteen months ago the 24-year-old was staying in a luxury serviced apartment in Sydney’s central business district, while receiving $1,000 a fortnight from Centrelink.
By January he was homeless and his finances were being controlled by the New South Wales Trustee & Guardian, which was paying him an allowance of $150 a week.
Today, the 24-year-old is facing a raft of criminal charges while on remand at the maximum security Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney’s north west.
Dean has been behind bars since October after he allegedly attacked a tobacconist with a hammer – the fourth time he had been arrested in two years.
He is facing 11 charges including assaulting police, affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence and larceny.
He has already pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob and two counts of recklessly damaging property.
Court records refer to Dean’s recent addresses at Erskineville, Redfern, Randwick, Kellyville and a Harris Park rehab clinic.
Dean was just ten when he got his big break on Home and Away, acting alongside Ada Nicodemou as her on-screen son VJ Patterson from 2007 to 2014.
Eighteen months ago Felix Dean was staying in a serviced apartment in the centre of Sydney. Today he is on remand at Parklea prison. Dean played VJ Patterson in Home and Away from 2007 to 2014. He is pictured with on-screen mother Ada Nicodemou
Dean’s most recent troubles with the law began on May 23, 2020 when he booked into room 3708 of the Meriton Suites Hotel (pictured) on Kent Street in Sydney. The next morning after checking out he deliberately drove through a security gate, causing $7,624.93 in damage
When Felix Dean was last arrested on charges of assaulting a tobacconist with a hammer he was living in this row of terraces in inner-city Surry Hills
At the same time he attended the oldest Catholic boys’ boarding school in Australia, St Stanislaus’ College at Bathurst in the New South Wales Central West.
Dean’s most recent troubles with the law began on May 23, 2020 when he booked into room 3708 of the Meriton Suites Hotel on Kent Street in Sydney.
The next morning after checking out Dean drove his Subaru WRX sedan straight through an automatic security gate in the car park, causing $7,624.93 in damage.
Dean, who made not attempt to report what happened to staff, pleaded guilty to intentionally damaging property and was placed on a nine-month conditional release order.
At that time police noted in a statement of facts Dean had faced nine previous charges for offences ranging from assault to larceny. He was living in an Airbnb.
Dean’s next serious brush with the law came when he attacked an Uber driver and smashed another man’s window early this year.
Felix Dean is facing 11 charges including assaulting police, affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence and larceny. He has pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob and two counts of recklessly damaging property
Felix Dean’s latest home is the maximum security Parklea Correctional Centre (pictured) in Sydney’s north west where he is awaiting sentence on a string of charges including assault
By then he was homeless and staying sporadically at hotels around Sydney, while the NSW Trustee & Guardian had been appointed to control his finances.
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That body paid for his accommodation, while he retained an investment property at Botany which was leased and rent of $330 went into his trustee account each week.
Dean had been drinking with a friend in a park behind King Street at Newtown when a resident saw him urinating outside his unit shortly before 9pm on January 6.
When the resident called out, ‘Come on mate, people live here, what are you doing?’ Dean laughed and responded, ‘Do you want a fight?’
After the man dialled Triple Zero and showed the unemployed actor his phone screen, Dean picked up a bottle and smashed one of his windows.
About an hour later Dean was standing on a footpath in nearby Erskineville Road when an Uber driver drove past and turned into Wilson Street.
Dean ran in front of the vehicle, slapped the bonnet, opened the car door and began throwing punches at the driver’s head and face.
‘Get out of the car you f***king c***,’ Dean told the driver, who kicked him in the abdomen, closed the door and drove away.
Dean was nominated for Best Young Actor at the 2008 and 2009 Inside Soap Awards For his portrayal of VJ. He disappeared from the spotlight altogether after the gig
Dean referred to himself as a ‘work in progress’ in a social media post made in August. ‘From the good life to struggle street to finding my feet,’ he wrote on Facebook. ‘Underestimate me at least that makes two of us.’ He is now in Parklea prison (pictured)
The attack on the Uber driver was captured on CCTV and Dean pleaded guilty in May this year to assault with intent to rob and intentionally destroying property.
Dean’s next run-in with police came on the afternoon of September 18 at Paddington when he allegedly failed to comply with a Covid-19 direction.
According to police Dean then assaulted a senior constable by kicking the officer in the leg. He is yet to enter pleas to those two alleged offences.
After that incident Dean was granted bail on strict conditions including that he abide by a 6pm curfew and be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing.
Next, Dean was arrested near the TSG Tobacconist in Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, shortly before midnight on October 11.
Police allege Dean attacked the tobacconist with a hammer and assaulted another man after stealing a iPhone from the shop.
The tobacconist suffered minor head injuries and was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.
Dean was then refused bail and has been in custody ever since.
Dean left Home and Away as a 17-year-old when he was replaced in the long-running soap by Matthew Little. At the time his on-screen mother Nicodemou said she viewed Dean as a ‘surrogate son’ after their years spent together on the show. The pair is pictured
He has not entered pleas to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of common assault, larceny, affray and being armed with a weapon to commit an indictable offence.
All charges were mentioned in Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday when Dean’s solicitor sought an adjournment until December 7.
Dean referred to himself as a ‘work in progress’ in a social media post made in August, before his two most recent arrests.
‘From the good life to struggle street to finding my feet,’ he wrote on Facebook. ‘Underestimate me at least that makes two of us.’
Dean has not had an acting credit since leaving Home and Away as a 17-year-old when he was replaced in the long-running soap by Matt Little.
At the time his on-screen mother Nicodemou said she viewed Dean as a ‘surrogate son’ after their years spent together on the show.
Dean was nominated for Best Young Actor at the 2008 and 2009 Inside Soap Awards For his portrayal of VJ Patterson. He disappeared from the spotlight altogether after the gig.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
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