Man, 28, jailed for slashing victim’s face in ‘appalling’ homophobic attack

A prolific criminal who slashed a man’s face and broke his nose in an ‘appalling’ homophobic attack has been jailed.

Alex Ogden, 28, hurled vile slurs at the man in his 50s while attacking him with a knife at an address in Islington, north London, on October 18 last year.

He fled the scene and spent 15 days on the run before being arrested in Southwark following a nationwide manhunt.

Ogden, who has 39 previous convictions for offences carried out across the country, admitted GBH at Snaresbrook Crown Court and was jailed for 32 months.

He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order to protect the victim.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley said: ‘I am extremely proud of my officers who were able to secure the conviction against this violent man.

‘Ogden has a prolific offending history, targeting multiple victims across the country.

‘This offence was treated as a homophobic hate crime for the appalling comments used during the attack.

‘I would urge any members of the public to come forward if they have also been subjected to hate crime.

‘This conviction demonstrates the Met’s commitment to tackling hate crime in the LGBTQ+ community and the continued prosecution of people who seek to cause harm.’

Ogden, of no fixed address, had an extensive offending history all over the country, mostly relating to the north of England, mainly Yorkshire and on the train network.

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