Former British actor jailed for attacking ex-girlfriend
A former British film actor known for his leading role in the 1988 Hollywood movie Empire State has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Jason Hoganson, who played an enigmatic Geordie drifter alongside actors such as Ray McAnally, Jamie Foreman, and Martin Landau, was convicted of the attack, which occurred on a public street in Newcastle last December.
Actor’s past resurfaces in court
Hoganson, once a promising talent in the British film industry, was discovered by producers while studying drama and had received critical acclaim for his role in Empire State, which was considered a major break in his acting career. However, the Newcastle Crown Court heard that Hoganson, who now has 109 convictions on his record, was captured on a doorbell camera attacking his former partner despite a restraining order that had been put in place to keep him away from her.
Details of the assault
Prosecutor Amy Levitt told the court, “Footage shows the defendant assaulting the complainant. He slaps her on the face, and she walks away. He walks after her.” Levitt further detailed the attack, stating, “There are further hits and a push, where she falls to the floor. The assault continues while she’s lying on the floor. She describes him, as having pushed her, hit her, kicked her, and put his body weight on her. The assault lasted around three minutes.”
History of violence
Miss Levitt said Hoganson had previously been made the subject of a restraining order-preventing him from contacting the victim-when he was convicted of battery and criminal damage in May last year. Hoganson, of no fixed address, has pleaded guilty to assault by beating and to breaching the restraining order. The case has drawn significant attention due to Hoganson’s history and his brief rise to fame in the late 1980s.
Newcastle Crown Court has sentenced Hoganson to 18 months in jail, reflecting the seriousness of the offense and his lengthy criminal record.