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Actor John Alford has been convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.
The former “London’s Burning” star had denied engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at a residence in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, in April 2022.
The 53-year-old, whose real name is John Shannon, was standing trial in connection with the allegations.
Upon hearing the verdict at St Albans Crown Court, Alford reportedly expressed his dismay, stating “wrong, I didn’t do this.” He was informed to expect a custodial sentence in December.
Alford is known for his roles as Billy Ray in the ITV drama “London’s Burning” and Robbie Wright in the BBC series “Grange Hill.”
Prosecuting barrister Julie Whitby stated that both girls were intoxicated at the time of the alleged incidents.
Ms. Whitby asserted that Alford was aware of the girls’ ages, a claim refuted by the actor, who testified he “never touched” either girl.
The court was presented with evidence indicating that on April 9, 2022, Alford purchased approximately £250 worth of food, alcohol, and cigarettes from a local petrol station in the early hours of the morning.
This included a bottle of vodka, which the victims subsequently consumed.
Alford testified that he had been drinking with a friend at a nearby pub, while the girls were at the friend’s house for a sleepover with her daughter.
The younger girl alleged that Alford engaged in sexual intercourse with her in both the garden and the downstairs toilet.
Jurors were shown a video of the 14-year-old’s police interview, in which she stated she had been raped.
The girl told the court she did not know Alford prior to the attack and had never had sex before.
“I told him to stop because I didn’t want to have sex with an old man,” she stated.
She told police she asked him to stop “three or four times”.
According to Ms. Whitby, neither girl reported the alleged assaults immediately due to their consumption of “a fair amount of vodka.”
Jurors were informed that police received a report from the 15-year-old’s mother two days later, detailing the allegations.
The older girl testified that Alford sexually touched her while she was partially asleep on a living room sofa.
The actor denied the allegation, stating in his testimony, “not at all… I never touched either of them girls.”
He began to cry as he told jurors: “I haven’t done this.
“No DNA. I didn’t touch them. I think science proves me not guilty.”
The prosecution argued that a “bit of a party” had been staged, which Alford denied.
He suggested he might be the target of an extortion scheme.
After 13 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict finding Alford guilty on four counts of sexual activity with the younger girl, as well as sexual assault and assault by penetration in relation to the older teenager.
The jury reached a majority verdict of 10 to two on the guilty findings.
Jurors were shown a video of the 14-year-old’s police interview, in which she stated that she had been raped.
The girl told the court she did not know Mr Alford prior to the incident and had never had sex before.
She said: “I told him to stop because I didn’t want to have sex with an old man”.
She asked him to stop “three or four times”, she claimed.
Jurors at St Albans Crown Court were told that Alford had a number of previous convictions – although none for sex offences – and had been to jail.
They heard that he had been convicted of supplying drugs in 1999 and was jailed for nine months.
Alford had been lured to a hotel by News of the World journalist Mazher “Fake Sheikh” Mahmood, who was posing as an Arabian prince, and secretly filmed supplying cocaine and cannabis, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
The judge at Snaresbrook said there had been an element of entrapment in the case.
Alford told jurors in St Albans he had been “blacklisted” as an actor following that conviction.
St Albans’ jurors also heard Alford had been convicted of disorderly behaviour, drink -driving, causing criminal damage and obstructing a police officer.
Alford also said he had suffered mental health difficulties and had problems with alcohol.
Jurors were told, that after legal action, he had received a £500,000 settlement from the News of the World’s publishers, after complaining that his phone had been hacked.
During the St Albans trial, he said “solicitors got most it”.
The judge, Recorder Caroline Overton, granted the actor conditional bail ahead of his sentencing at the same court on 4 December.
The conditions included:
She warned him he had been convicted of “very serious matters” and should expect a custodial sentence.
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