Calum von Moger, Australia’s ‘Mr Universe’, escapes conviction for Melbourne road rage attack

An Australian bodybuilder and former Mr Universe who pulled out a knife and slashed the tires of a man’s car he had just hit from behind has blamed his experience with car jacking in America for his attack.

Now a shadow of his former self, Calum von Moger, 31, pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last month to a series of charges relating to the terrifying incident.

Von Moger, a three-time winner of the World Fitness Federation’s ‘Mr Universe’ and actor who once played Arnold Schwarzenegger in a film, escaped sentencing on Wednesday and was released on good behavior bail with a $2,500 fine. $.

The former coachbuilder was still in top form in January when he allegedly acted out of fear against his victim.

In May, von Moger shocked his legion of fans by falling from a two-story building.

A few weeks later, he appeared in court with his arm in a sling, where it was revealed he had admitted to taking so many steroids that he could no longer produce testosterone naturally.

He then pleaded guilty to possession of various drugs, including testosterone, cannabis and about two grams of methamphetamine.

The star was suffering from severe depression at the time of the incident, which left him with injuries to his spine, face and neck.

On Wednesday, von Moger’s lawyer, Bernard Campigli, told the court his client had since been diagnosed with adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Campigli claimed von Moger had been anxious on the road after being involved in carjackings with guns while living in the United States.

The court heard von Moger rammed his Ford Ranger into the back of his victim’s Kluger at around 9.30pm on Millers Road in Altona North, west of Melbourne.

When his shocked victim got into a verbal scuffle with von Moger, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the man’s tire before fleeing.

When police caught up with him shortly after, they found a trove of weapons including a tomahawk, an ax handle, brass knuckles and a hunting knife.

They also found a dodgy license plate that had been covered in blood.

But Mr Campigli claimed von Moger was frightened when approached by his victim.

“Mr von Moger was very scared at the time,” he said.

“Mr von Moger was very afraid of what the (victim) might do, so he stabbed the tire and left the scene.”

The court heard that von Moger had another incident on the roads last November.

Although no weapon was involved on this occasion, the court heard von Moger hit a car with his Harley Davidson motorcycle in trendy South Yarra and fly away.

He was only caught because his victim chased after him, taking a picture of him, which he posted on social media in hopes he would be recognized.

The former coachbuilder turned himself in to police over the incident just days after he appeared in court on May 26.

Mr Campigli had asked the court to spare von Moger a conviction in the hope that he could continue to travel to and from the United States, where he plans to work again.

While the assault charges were dropped, von Moger pleaded guilty to damaging property, carrying weapons and driving recklessly.

At sentencing, magistrate Roslyn Porter accepted that von Moger’s moral culpability for his offense was reduced by his mental health issues.

But she condemned the former star for his outrageous behavior.

“Your conduct can only be described as appalling and unacceptable,” Ms Porter said.

The magistrate warned von Moger that if he returned to court for any type of offense he was likely to receive a conviction.

He had only been treated as a first offender on this occasion because the crimes had been committed before he was tried in May for drug charges.

At an earlier hearing, the tragedy of von Moger’s desire to break into the world of bodybuilding was revealed.

The cops had picked him up with an illicit stash of testosterone, needles, three containers of cannabis oil, another bag of white crystal powder and an assortment of prescription drugs, including Viagra.

During his interview, von Moger claimed that one of his friends must have possessed methamphetamine.

“I found this bag on my back and freaked out because I don’t use it. I knew it belonged to someone so I put it in my wallet to return or throw away “, did he declare.

‘The shoulder bag is not mine. I was driving friends all weekend and they were doing drugs and left him. It’s not mine but I know I was in his possession.

But he admitted to using testosterone for the past 10 years.

“I don’t produce it naturally anymore and I need it to be normal,” von Moger told cops.

“I use testosterone weekly to keep my levels stable. I use cannabis oil to help me settle down and sleep.

Von Moger claimed he also used Viagra – a prescription drug primarily used to improve erectile function – while he was in “competition”.

The court heard that von Moger spent a night behind bars after his arrest, which was a “sobering experience”.

But when news of his issues became known within the bodybuilding community, von Moger’s mental health took another plunge.

“There was a lot of hate online. If you google Mr. von Moger’s name, it turns up a number of YouTube videos commenting on his supposed decline, which is very stressful for him and it hasn’t helped his substance use,” said Mr. Campigli at the time.

Von Moger was ordered to pay $500 to the court fund for these crimes.

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