Former film star jailed for carrying knives in street
A FORMER film star has been locked up after he was caught carrying two knives in his rucksack on a busy Newcastle street.
Jason Hoganson played the role of a Geordie in 1988 movie Empire State but since then his life spiralled out of control.
The former actor wracked up more than 95 convictions after he fell into a life of crime after drink, drugs and mental health problems took their toll.
On this occasion, Hoganson, who has four past offences on his record for possessing weapons, was found to have two knives on the West
Road but claimed he’d been taking them to his mum for her to use with cooking.
A court heard that the police were called to the scene after reports a man fitting the 49-year-old’s description had been seen brandishing knives towards another person.
When officers attended, they found Hoganson, who had only been released from prison three months earlier for similar offending, nearby and he was detained.
A subsequent search revealed he was carrying a large kitchen knife and a small kitchen knife in his rucksack and he was arrested.
Hoganson, of Colston Street, Benwell, Newcastle, was due to appear in the dock at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday but was kept in his cell because of self-harm issues.
His solicitor, Mark Harrison, entered guilty pleas to two counts of possession of a bladed article on his behalf.
During interview, Hoganson claimed he had a lawful reason to be carrying the blades as he was taking them to his mum for her to use with her cooking.
Mr Harrison said Hoganson maintained that excuse but accepted he needed to be much more “wary” about carrying knives.
The solicitor added: “There’s no suggestion the knives were being used or brandished in dangerous circumstances.
“While there’s evidence to suggest someone was brandishing a knife, there’s no evidence to suggest that it was him.”
Hoganson was jailed for 40 weeks and must pay £85 costs and a £156 victim surcharge.
The former actor starred in Empire State alongside Irish actor Ray McAnally, Jamie Foreman and US star Martin Landau.
But as his acting career started to take off, his personal life was in tatters and he succumbed to a life of crime.