Islington: Man with 39 previous convictions jailed for homophobic attack

A ‘prolific’ criminal who was the perpetrator of a violent homophobic attack in north London has been jailed.

Alex Ogden, 28, violently assaulted a man in his 50s at an address in Islington on October 18 2023. 

Ogden used a knife in his attack and subjected the victim to homophobic abuse, which resulted in the victim sustaining a number of cuts to his face and a broken nose. Ogden then fled the scene.

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An investigation, led by the Central North Public Protection Team, was opened and a national manhunt was launched on November 1, in conjunction with police colleagues across the country. Forensic evidence recovered from the scene had identified Ogden as the suspect.

Ogden, of no fixed abode was convicted of grievous bodily harm and sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday April 23 after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

The court heard that Ogden had an extensive offending history of 39 previous convictions across the country, most in the north of England, mainly Yorkshire and on trains.

Ogden was sentenced to a total of 32 months in prison. In addition to the sentence, a five-year restraining order was imposed on Ogden to protect the victim and he will be placed on licence upon release.

Det Ch Insp Paul Ridley from Central North Public Protection Team 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.”