An 18-year-old man who was first given an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) when he was just 10-years-old has been sent to prison after being caught with more than £2,000 of heroin and crack cocaine. Alfie Hodgin became known to the authorities as a child and is understood to have been "one of the youngest people ever to receive an anti-social behaviour order" when he was issued one in December 2014 for "terrorising" his local community.
The two-year order banned him from causing harassment, alarm or distress to members of the public and he was required to immediately leave shops and businesses whenever asked to do so by staff. Hodgin, who was still in primary school at the time, was also banned from associating with any of his friends in public, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Sadly, the anti-social behaviour order did not dispel Hodgin from further incidents and he went on to have his first criminal conviction at just 13 and later became a "teenage drugs gang boss" - before getting stabbed 27 times with a machete.
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Just a month before he received his anti-social behaviour order at the age of 10, Hodgin's then-14 year old brother John also received an Asbo. The brothers were believed to be part of a "gang involved in a series of incidents" in the northern part of Birkenhead in Merseyside. John is said to have caused a "litany of trouble" and was accused at the time of being involved in incidents that involved throwing missiles at vehicles and shouting abuse at vulnerable people. Years later, he was handed a two year and seven months prison sentence after an incident involving a police helicopter having to chase a stolen car following a burglary.
Over his teenage years, the younger Hodgin brother gained a lengthy rap sheet featuring offences including theft, criminal damage, assault and breaching his Asbo. He was first jailed in 2019 for possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this week that Hodgin had been making some progress in his behaviour, thanks to guidance and support offered by Everton football club in its 'Everton in the Community' project, but by the time he was released from prison, the coronavirus pandemic had struck and support and guidance was no longer available from the charity.
In February 2021, Hodgin was sent to prison again having been caught with drugs, a phone and a "couple of weapons" in his prison cell. He then began peddling class A drugs whilst out on license.
The court heard Hodgin, of Manor Road in Wallasey, Merseyside, originally started working for an organised crime group so he could pay off a debt, but he later stole the gang's phone and drugs and began dealing himself.
The organised crime group was angered by this and a gang of four men attacked Hodgin in a town centre street with machetes on the evening of July 14 this year, leaving him with 27 stab wounds and lying in a pool of his own blood, court heard.
It's understood around a dozen police cars attended the scene, which had seen the assailants reportedly approach Hodgin in a grey vehicle before jumping out and attacking him.
Hodgin spent two weeks in hospital - but was soon arrested by police once-more for being in possession of £1,220 of heroin, £1,100 crack cocaine, £1.208 in cash and the gang's phone. He admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, and being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, and was sent to prison for two-and-a-half years.
Speaking at Liverpool Crown Court, defence counsel John Weate acknowledged that Hodgin had found himself in court partly because of his involvement in matters that have led to his brother being sent to prison.
"From a very young age, probably in his infancy, he has been subjected to living in a violent and criminal environment and a complete mistrust has developed within him of adults and people who may on the face of it be looking to help him," he added. "Everything has been disrupted by this life experience, which thankfully the vast majority of children don't have to experience. His education was completely and utterly disrupted through bad behaviour and through other issues which existed in his life.
"The glimmer of hope is a suggestion he wants to change. He seems determined to get a grip of his life and to do his level best in the future to make sure he doesn't find himself in this position again."
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