A former actor who was one of hundreds of prisoners released early in a bid to cut jail overcrowding has been found guilty of assaulting his former partner the day after he was freed. Heavily tattooed Jason Hoganson, 53, was photographed raising a thumb as he was released from HMP Durham on September 10 last year, having served half of an 18-month jail sentence for assaulting his ex-partner Rachel Usher and breaching a restraining order.
The following day he was arrested in Newcastle’s West End after going to Ms Usher’s flat and slapping her. A court heard Ms Usher had since “very sadly passed away” after Hogan was returned to custody, but a district judge ruled that a trial should still go ahead with her statement as evidence.
On Friday Hoganson, who had a leading role in the 1987 film Empire State, was found guilty of assaulting Ms Usher and two counts of breaching a restraining order by going to her home on September 11 and sending her a letter from prison a week earlier.
The defendant was removed from court in the middle of his evidence after he started shouting obscenities at prosecutor Lisa Callum, and was not present to hear the verdict. Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard a restraining order was made in July 2023 banning Hoganson from contacting Ms Usher “in any way whatsoever”.
