Former TV star John Alford jailed after jury learns what happened during a night of drinking

Former television actor John Alford has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls. The offences involved victims aged 14 and 15 and took place during a night of drinking in Hertfordshire in April 2022.

As reported by BBC News, Alford, who appeared in the television dramas London’s Burning and Grange Hill, was tried under his real name, John Shannon, at St Albans Crown Court. Prosecutors told the court he assaulted the girls after arriving at a friend’s house in Hoddesdon during the early hours of the morning.

The court heard that Shannon had been drinking with the homeowner, the father of another teenage girl present at the house. He later went to a nearby petrol station and bought food, cigarettes, and a bottle of vodka, which were consumed by the group before the assaults occurred, similar to another example of a well-known figure facing public scrutiny and legal fallout.

The jury rejected his claims and accepted the prosecution’s case

Jurors convicted Shannon of four counts of sexual activity involving the younger girl. He was also found guilty of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to the older teenager, with incidents taking place in the garden, a toilet, and a living room.

Victim impact statements were read in court during sentencing. The younger girl said she asked him to stop multiple times and told police she did not want to have sex with him. The older girl, who was assaulted while partially asleep on a sofa, described lasting harm to her mental well-being.

Prosecuting barrister Chris White told the court that Shannon knew the girls’ ages and deliberately gave them alcohol before committing the offences. Recorder Caroline Overton said the crimes had a significant and ongoing impact on both victims and justified a lengthy custodial sentence.

Shannon denied all allegations throughout the trial, claiming he had been set up and that the girls were attempting to extort him. He told jurors that a lack of DNA evidence proved his innocence, but the jury rejected his account, reflecting how high-profile cases involving serious allegations often hinge on credibility rather than claims alone.

During mitigation, defence barrister Mohammed Bashir said Shannon had not committed further offences since the incident. The court also heard that he has previous convictions, including a 1999 sentence for supplying drugs, for which he served nine months in prison.