Actor John Alford Guilty of Sexual Assault

Former London’s Burning actor John Alford has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old girl during a party at a friend’s home.

The 53-year-old was charged with four counts of sexual activity with the younger girl and charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to the second teenager at a property in Hertfordshire on April 9th, 2022.

A jury at St Albans Crown Court convicted Alford of all charges on Friday following a week-long trial and more than 13 hours of deliberations.

Alford put his head in his hand and shouted, “Wrong, I didn’t do this,” from the dock as the verdicts were read out in court.

Jurors heard during the trial that the defendant, charged under his real name, John Shannon, sexually assaulted the girls while they were drunk following a night out at the pub.

All of the offences took place at the home of a third girl whose father was friends with Alford.

The former actor, who appeared in the BBC drama Grange Hill, bought some £250 (€288) worth of food, alcohol and cigarettes from a nearby petrol station in the early hours of the morning, including a bottle of vodka which the victims subsequently drank.

Alford then had sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl in the garden of the home and later in a downstairs toilet, and inappropriately touched the 15-year-old girl as she lay half asleep on the living room sofa.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.