How Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan’s grandson spiralled out of control on drugs – and the family tragedy that forever haunts him

The grandson of Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan lived the good life. He had a nice house, a car, a job as a carpenter and a beautiful girlfriend whom he hoped to marry.

But within a few years, Jake Paul Hogan’s life spiraled out of control and the 34-year-old became a homeless drug addict, sleeping in abandoned buildings and stealing clothes and bicycles to sell.

He lost his friends and became estranged from his family, cycling around the ice for hours every day and making tearful phone calls to the few people who hadn’t abandoned him.

A former acquaintance of Jake’s – son of Todd Hogan, grandson of Paul and Noelene Hogan, and brother of Network Seven TV reporter Mylee Hogan – has opened up about his origins while in prison.

The source, who requested anonymity, revealed that Jake was traumatized by a tragedy in his immediate family that occurred long before he ended up in prison for breaking into apartment buildings to fuel his drug addiction and threaten an acquaintance.

Jake Paul Hogan (left), the grandson of Hollywood star Paul Hogan, had a normal life, a job, a car and a house until things spiraled out of control due to methamphetamine

Jake Hogan hoped to get married and have children with his former partner Rachel Young, but when his dreams didn't come true, he was haunted by the tragedy of losing his mother as a teenager.

Jake Hogan hoped to get married and have children with his former partner Rachel Young, but when his dreams didn’t come true, he was haunted by the tragedy of losing his mother as a teenager.

Jake as a boy with his mother Marie and father Todd around 1990. Tragedy struck the family when Marie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and died from the disease in 2006.

Jake as a boy with his mother Marie and father Todd around 1990. Tragedy struck the family when Marie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and died from the disease in 2006.

Instead of working in his profession, Sydney courts heard how Hogan carried burglary tools with him and prowled posh apartment buildings looking for opportunities to steal.

“He’s actually a good person with a very friendly personality and a supportive family,” the acquaintance said.

‘But he’s so angry about his mother’s death. It happened that he was 14 or 15, but he never got over it because he never processed it properly.

‘When he met Rachel, he thought she was the one and that they would have children and a family.’

But the relationship ended and that “destroyed his dreams of starting a family and then brought back all kinds of past traumas.”

‘He was just devastated. He lost all his friends and [became] isolated from his family. ‘He stole clothes from shops and bicycles, the loitering is because he was homeless.

“He broke into a pool room and slept in one of the hose buildings in Pyrmont.

‘Jake’s not a bad person, but he’s completely lost. He never came to terms with his mother’s death. So he has real separation anxiety.’

Jake is the grandson of Hollywood celebrity Paul Hogan whose breakthrough role as Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee (above) won him a Golden Globe award and made him millions

Jake is the grandson of Hollywood celebrity Paul Hogan whose breakthrough role as Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee (above) won him a Golden Globe award and made him millions

Jake Hogan with Rachel Young, who had plans to get married and have children, but he became a homeless drug addict and police say he started stealing to support his ice cream habit

Jake Hogan with Rachel Young, who had plans to get married and have children, but he became a homeless drug addict and police say he started stealing to support his ice cream habit

In 2006, Jake’s famous grandfather, who lived in Los Angeles with his second wife Linda Kozlowski and their son Chance, made news by flying back to Sydney.

The then 67-year-old came home to attend the funeral of his daughter-in-law, Marie Hogan, who had just died of multiple sclerosis.

Jake’s mother had suffered a “very sad” decline in the weeks leading up to her death due to the illness she endured during his childhood. She succumbed to it when he was 17 years old.

Marie Hogan’s widower Todd eventually remarried nurse Jane, and the couple now live in New Zealand.

Jake Hogan remained in Sydney and seemed to live a normal and largely blameless life until he began a relationship with a young mother named Rachel Young.

Hogan had some substance abuse problems, but when his relationship ended and his hopes for a family of his own disappeared, he “became seriously addicted to drugs that completely took over his life.”

Opposite the music

Hogan is currently in jail – believed to be Silverwater Prison – awaiting sentencing next month for breaking into apartment buildings ‘to fuel his drug addiction’ and for breaching an apprehended violence order against a woman he terrorized.

Paul Hogan, above with his second wife Linda Kozlowski in 2013, before their divorce the following year

Paul Hogan, above with his second wife Linda Kozlowski in 2013, before their divorce the following year

Jake Paul Hogan was a teenager when his beloved mother Marie tragically died from multiple sclerosis after a long illness that took her life in 2006.

Jake Paul Hogan was a teenager when his beloved mother Marie tragically died from multiple sclerosis after a long illness that took her life in 2006.

Jake Hogan is 'a good person with a very kind and good personality and a supportive family', but ice addiction and homelessness turned him into a desperate man

Jake Hogan is ‘a good person with a very kind and good personality and a supportive family’, but ice addiction and homelessness turned him into a desperate man

Hogan was caught using what police described as “high quality CCTV” to break into several luxury apartment complexes after “blatantly hanging out” outside.

According to a police statement of facts, Hogan could be clearly seen breaking into an apartment building in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont, wearing a black fitted T-shirt with “Los Angeles” in gold lettering, shorts and white New Balance sneakers.

On another occasion he wore a black ‘L’HISTOIRE’ singlet and black shorts to burglarize a block in nearby Waterloo.

Police later found him with Trojan brand wire cutters, a black flashlight, Allen wrenches and an adjustable wrench.

Hogan also breached a domestic violence arrest warrant five days after it was removed by a woman by texting her the word ‘DOG’ while she was at Prince of Wales Hospital.

The woman then received a further 42 calls from various payphones over four hours as she lay in her hospital bed while he was ‘crying on the phone… or getting very angry and shouting’.

The police facts detail Hogan’s high number of arrests and offences, as well as previous charges including keeping a knife in a public place, malicious damage, drug possession, shoplifting and possession of stolen goods.

Hogan’s former partner, Ms Young, also has an AVO against him.

He has been arrested and charged several times but has always been granted bail, a friend claimed, “because his grandfather is a celebrity.”

Hogan was eventually taken into custody and refused bail after being caught shoplifting at Coles and Myer in Sydney’s CBD.

He was arrested on February 5 after an employee saw him steal two Dare Iced Coffees at Coles World Square.

Hogan claimed to the worker that he was homeless and had no money, and later told police he had not eaten in days.

He told police he paid $380 a week in rent, earned $500 a week from carpentry and $500 in Centrelink benefits.

He will be sentenced from prison at Downing Center Local Court via AVL in early May.