Former Hollywood star sentenced to 109 years in prison for assaulting ex

Former Hollywood actor Jason Hoganson has been jailed for 18 months (Photo: NNP)

A former Hollywood actor has been jailed after a shocking attack on his ex in the street.

Jason Hoganson played a lead role in the 1988 film Empire State, alongside Irish actor Ray McAnally, Jamie Foreman and American star Martin Landau.

But as his film career began to take off, Hoganson struggled with the spotlight and fell into a life of alcohol, drugs and crime.

His face that once made him a silver screen star is now crisscrossed with ugly scars and his head is covered in large, distinctive tattoos.

The former actor has 109 previous convictions (Photo: North News & Pictures)

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Hoganson, who now has 109 convictions to his name, was caught on doorbell camera attacking his former partner in Newcastle on December 11 last year.

Prosecutor Amy Levitt said Hoganson already had a restraining order to keep him away from the woman when he attacked her.

Ms Levitt told the court: “Footage shows the defendant assaulting the complainant. He slaps her in the face and she walks away. He chases her.”

“There are more blows and a push, where she falls to the ground.

“The assault continues while she is lying on the ground.

“She describes him pushing, hitting, kicking her and putting his full weight on her.

“The assault lasted about three minutes.”

Hoganson starred as a Geordie in the 1988 film Empire State, but since then his life has spiralled out of control (Photo: ncjMedia Ltd)

Ms Levitt said Hoganson had been given a restraining order to keep him away from the victim after he was convicted of assault and battery and criminal damage in May last year.

Hoganson, 53, of no fixed address, admitted to assault by beating and violating a protection order.

Ian Crook, defending the accused, told the court: “He was an accomplished actor. He even landed a role, a lead role, in a film, a crime thriller.

“At that time, the future looked bright.”

1987’s Empire State is considered a cult classic

Hoganson was sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting his ex (Picture: Northumbria Police)

Mr Crook said Hoganson was already having personal problems at the time and added: “Being thrown into the spotlight was not easy for him to deal with. He turned to drink and drugs and that sent him into a downward spiral.”

Hoganson has a complex mental health history but has been a mentor to others while in pretrial detention, he added.

Judge Tim Gittins sentenced Hoganson to 18 months in prison, most of which he has already served on remand.

In 1987, the producers of a low-budget film contacted Hoganson’s drama teacher to say they were looking for Geordie actors.

After auditioning over 100 young candidates, she was offered a role in Empire State, a dark drama set in 1980s London.

He played the role of Geordie drifter Pete in the film directed by Ron Peck.

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