Actor jailed for assaults had long criminal history

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 17:35 · Archive

John Alford, former star of London's Burning, was jailed for eight and a half years in January for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

Former London's Burning actor John Alford, 54, was jailed for eight and a half years at St Albans Crown Court in January for sexual offences against two teenage girls in Hertfordshire. He stood trial under his real name, John Shannon, in September and was found guilty on four counts of sexual activity with the younger girl and of sexual assault and assault by penetration on the older teenager.

Criminal records released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal Alford, who was born in Glasgow and rose to fame playing fireman Billy Ray in the ITV drama during the 1990s, had been convicted six times for a total of 14 offences. These included offences against property and public disorder.

In 1999, Alford appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court in Redbridge, London, charged with supplying class A and class B drugs. He was found guilty of supplying cocaine and cannabis to an undercover News of the World reporter and received a nine-month prison sentence, with £3,000 costs ordered. In 2004, he was convicted of using disorderly behaviour or threatening words 'likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress' after being found in a hotel room in an 'extremely drunken state'.

How it is being reported

• Fresh details on disgraced actor's criminal past emerge after deathNew details surrounding the criminal past of disgraced actor John Alford who sexually assaulted two teenage girls in Hertfordshire have emerged.Cambs Times · 29 Oct, 17:00
• Fresh details on disgraced actor's criminal past emerge after deathNew details surrounding the criminal past of disgraced actor John Alford who sexually assaulted two teenage girls in Hertfordshire have emerged.Ely Standard · 29 Oct, 17:00

In this story: John Alford · St Albans Crown Court · London's Burning · Snaresbrook Crown Court · Hertfordshire · Glasgow · Holloway

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log