In a recent social media post, Home and Away child actor Felix Dean summed up his sad spiral into criminality and drug misuse by saying, “from the good life to struggle street.”
The 24-year-old was living in a nice serviced flat in Sydney’s central business district and getting $1,000 from Centrelink every two weeks eighteen months ago.
By January, he was homeless, and the New South Wales Trustee & Guardian was in charge of his funds, paying him a weekly stipend of $150.
While on remand at the maximum security Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney’s north west, the 24-year-old is facing a slew of criminal allegations.
Dean has been in custody since October, when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a tobacconist with a hammer for the fourth time in two years.
He is accused of attacking police, affray, assault causing actual bodily harm, being armed with the purpose to conduct an indictable offense, and larceny, among other offenses.
He’s previously pled guilty to robbery with intent and two counts of reckless property damage.
Dean’s recent homes include Erskineville, Redfern, Randwick, Kellyville, and a Harris Park rehab facility, according to court records.
Dean received his big break on Home and Away when he was eight years old, playing Ada Nicodemou’s 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 was a student at St Stanislaus’ College in Bathurst, New South Wales Central West, Australia’s oldest Catholic boys’ boarding school.
Dean’s most recent legal difficulties began when he checked into room 3708 at the Meriton Suites Hotel on Kent Street in Sydney on May 23, 2020.
Dean drove his Subaru WRX sedan straight through an automatic security barrier in the vehicle park the next morning after checking out, inflicting $7,624.93 in damage.
Dean pleaded guilty to wilfully damaging property and was sentenced to a nine-month conditional release order after failing to report what happened to employees.
Dean had previously been charged with nine offenses ranging from assault to larceny, according to a statement of facts at the time. He was staying in an Airbnb at the time.
Dean’s next major run-in with the law occurred earlier this year when he assaulted an Uber driver and damaged another man’s windshield.
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.
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?’
Dean grabbed up a bottle and broke one of his windows when the man dialed Triple Zero and showed the unemployed actor his phone screen.
Dean was standing on a walkway near Erskineville Road when an Uber driver went by and turned into Wilson Street around an hour later.
Dean dashed in front of the car, slapped the hood, flung open the car door, and began punching the driver in the head and face.
‘Get out of the car, you fking c,’ Dean said to the driver, who kicked him in the stomach, shut 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 assault on the Uber driver was caught on camera, and Dean pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob and willfully damage property in May of this year.
Dean’s second encounter with the cops was on September 18 at Paddington, when he reportedly disobeyed a Covid-19 directive.
Dean then allegedly assaulted a senior constable by kicking him in the leg, according to police. He has yet to enter a plea to the two charges.
Dean was granted bail following the incident under tight restrictions, including a 6 p.m. curfew and random drug and alcohol tests.
Dean was then apprehended just before midnight on October 11 outside the TSG Tobacconist in Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills.
After snatching an iPhone from the shop, Dean allegedly assaulted a tobacconist with a hammer and assaulted another guy, according to police.
The tobacconist had minor head injuries and was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics on the site.
Dean was then denied bail and has remained in detention since 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 a plea to accusations of assault causing actual bodily harm, two counts of common assault, larceny, affray, and being equipped with a firearm for the purpose of committing an indictable crime.
Dean’s solicitor requested an adjournment until December 7 before Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, when all accusations were mentioned.
Dean, before his two most recent arrests, referred to himself as a “work in progress” in a social media post from August.
He posted on Facebook, “From the affluent life to struggle street to finding my feet.” ‘If you underestimate me, that makes two of us.’
Since leaving Home and Away as a 17-year-old, when he was replaced in the long-running soap by Matt Little, Dean has not had an acting credit.
Dean’s on-screen mother Nicodemou remarked at the time that after their years together on the show, she saw him as a “surrogate son.”
Dean was nominated for Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap Awards in 2008 and 2009 for his role as VJ Patterson. After the performance, he vanished completely from the limelight.