Former London’s Burning and Grange Hill actor John Alford has today been jailed for eight and a half years for sexually abusing two underage girls.
The 53-year-old was handed the sentence after a jury found him guilty of committing two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, one count of penetrative sexual assault and one count of sexual assault at a party. Alford showed no emotion as the sentence was delivered by Recorder Caroline Overton at St Albans Crown Court.
Alford tapped his heart while looking at family members before being led down to the cells. Recorder Overton said he will serve up to two thirds in custody before being released on license. She added that for the rest of his life, Alford must make police aware of where he is living and inform them if he makes any changes to his name. He was also issued with a restraining order preventing him from contacting either victim either directly or indirectly.
Recorder Caroline Overton said the attacks happened while the girls were enjoying a sleepover at a friend’s house during the Easter holidays. She said after the other adults went to bed, at 4.30am, Alford went to a nearby garage where he bought £269 worth of food and drink, including beer, rum and flavoured vodka.
She said the girls were in what should have been “a safe environment” while enjoying themselves, including recording TikTok videos. She said: “You were the one remaining adult. You were a trusted family friend and you were fully aware the girls were 14 and 15 years of age.”
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Overton also said before issuing the sentence she had carefully examined the psychiatric report provided by Alford’s legal team, which included he has been psychologically dependent on alcohol since the age of 12 or 13. She made a sexual offences prevention order against him and said he will be on the sex offender’s register indefinitely.
She also said as part of the orders he will not be able to have any contact with a female aged under 18 without the full consent of the child’s parent or guardian, as well as social services. He is also prohibited from entering anywhere females under 18 are present, without prior written permission.
Recorder Overton said Alford had remained focused on the impact the offences on him and his family rather than his victims. She said he had shown “a lack of acknowledgement” of his behaviour or “any remorse”. And she added: “It is so serious that only a sentence of immediate custody can be justified.”
Both victims, who watched the hearing via screens, provided victim impact statements which were read out by the prosecution barrister, Julie Whitby. The court heard Alford was left as the only adult with the girls after other adults went to bed. Because of the nature of the conversations he had with them, he knew how old the girls were and that they were 14 and 15 respectively.
The court heard Alford was drinking from a bottle of Ciroc vodka and a bottle of beer and that both girls also drank from the bottle of vodka. The court heard the 14-year-old victim, who was wearing pyjamas, a vest top and knickers, told police Alford was older than her dad.
In her victim impact statement, she said: “I’m the victim of penetrative sexual assault. Being sexually assaulted has affected my family in every way.” The girl said she had to undergo a sexual health exam, but it could not be completed due to it causing her so much pain.
She was also given the morning after pill and had to undergo injections for HIV and other diseases, which caused her bruising. She said: “I was scared people were going to notice and wonder why I had them.” She added: “I had so much shame about the incident. I didn’t want to tell anyone.”
The girl said she did eventually tell her brother, who told her parents, including her dad who attempted to comfort her. She said: “My dad hugged me, but I didn’t feel comfortable with it because he was a man.” She continued: “It has affected me severely with school. I didn’t care about my GCSEs as this was the only thing that mattered.
“I wasn’t bothered about my personal hygiene or appearance. I was just existing,” the teen said. “I’ve become protective of my friends and any girl I see. I’m always on the look out for a man doing something wrong.” Before she added: “What happened to me will be with me forever, but I won’t let it change me.”
The girl said she doesn’t like drinking as it reminds her of that night. She added: “I remember what John smelled like.” The teen continued in her statement: “I was getting flashbacks. I’ve been getting dreams. I’m convinced he’s going to come through my door.” She added: “I also find it hard being intimate with my boyfriend because of this.
“The assault by John has completely changed my perspective on life. It has made me look very differently at the world and I now have worries for my life and my future children,” she said. “I will not let this assault define me, but it has been constantly in my mind.”
A victim impact statement was also read on behalf of the other victim, who was aged 15 at the time of the sexual assault. She said she carried on severe self-harm for years after the attack and attempted to take her own life, aged just 16.
And she said she now has scars on her body as a result of the self-harm. She said: “This man destroyed my mental wellbeing. When I was 16 I tried to take my own life with sleeping tablets.” She added: “I was in so much physical and emotional pain I cut myself deeply. I used my mum’s lighter to burn the inside of my thighs as well.
“I felt so suicidal and depressed, words cannot describe how I felt.” The girl said she often suffers flashbacks and nightmares and she admitted: “Every day I wake up thinking I could have done something to help my friend.” She also said she blames herself. She added: “I still face challenges everyday because of what he did.
“I cannot get on public transport, I can’t do anything by myself.” She also told how if she wakes up in the night she is too scared to go to the toilet on her own. She said: “I struggle with men. I don’t want to think of every man as evil, but I do.” She added: “I will never forget his face, his scent, his voice or him.”
In mitigation, Alford’s barrister said his client has been diagnosed with ADHD and other mental health issues. He said Alford now recognises he has a problem with alcohol, which “he has not really addressed throughout his life”. The court heard Alford is a dad to four children, aged between five and 19. He said Alford is likely to be targeted in prison because of “who he is”.
Alford’s barrister told the court his client “will of course struggle in prison because of his mental health”. The barrister described the incident as “sad” and “not one that will be repeated”. He added of Alford, who was referred to as Mr Shannon in Court: “Mr Shannon is a family man. His family speak highly of him. He is a loving uncle, loving brother, loving father.
“As a result of this his family have been targeted by people. It has been difficult for them.” The court heard the prosecution are requesting a restraining order preventing the contacting directly or indirectly of the victims.
Speaking after the sentence was handed down, Investigator Laura Harrison from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team, said:”I want to praise the bravery of our two victims for coming forward and reporting John Shannon’s horrific crimes to police.
“Shannon has not shown any signs of remorse, from his interviews in custody, to the trial which his victims had to endure. I hope that our victims are now able to move on in their lives knowing that Shannon will now be spending a considerable amount of time behind bars.” The statement continued: “This result reinforces the message that Hertfordshire Constabulary has a zero tolerance to crimes of this nature, and I hope Shannon is able to reflect on his behaviour and the trauma his actions have caused, not only for the victims but for their families as well.”
Lawyer Chris White, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “John Shannon was fully aware of the girls ages, yet he chose to exploit them – giving them alcohol and then committing sexual offences against them.” He added: “We commend the victims for reporting what happened. They were supported to give evidence against Shannon: their statements were recorded and played to the jury during the trial, and we arranged for screens to be provided so they did not have to face the defendant during cross examination.
“Shannon’s sentence today sends a clear message – we will pursue those who target young people for their own gratification.” A Hertfordshire Police spokesperson said: “John Shannon, who is also known as John Alford, aged 54, of Hartham Road, Islington, has been sentenced to eight years and six months in prison.
“Shannon was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Restraining Order until further order. He will also serve on the sex offenders register indefinitely.”
The court previously heard Alford, who was tried under his real name, John Shannon, carried out the attacks at an impromptu party after a night out at a pub in April 2022. The girls, who did not previously know him, were enjoying a sleepover at the home of a third girl, whose father was friends with Alford.
The fiend bought £250 worth of food, alcohol and cigarettes from a nearby petrol station in the early hours of the morning, including a bottle of vodka, which his victims subsequently drank.
Alford went on to have sex with the 14-year-old girl in the garden of the property and later in a downstairs toilet. He also inappropriately touched the 15-year-old girl as she lay half-asleep on the living room sofa.
In a video of her police interview played to the court, the 14-year-old said she had never had sex before the night and stated she had been raped. She said: “I told him to stop because I didn’t want to have sex with an old man”.
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The court heard Alford, who played Billy Ray in ITV drama London’s Burning and Robbie Wright in BBC children’s series Grange Hill, asked her ‘do you want this babe?’ to which she replied “no”. She told police she asked him to stop “three or four times”.
The 15-year-old girl assaulted by Alford told the court: “We were all just like dozing off. That was when John started to touch me.” The youngster said she felt “absolutely sick” after the assault and immediately showered after being dropped off at the house of the other girl Alford attacked.
She described how they both went into a bathroom together and “spoke about everything that happened”, before she talked about the incidents again while visiting a different friend’s home two days later. Recalling the moment, she said: “I had a mental breakdown to my best mate’s mum in the garden and she called my mum.”
During the trial, jurors heard that, after being arrested, Alford claimed he had “never touched” either of the girls and told police officers: “This stinks. This is a setup.” But a jury disagreed and convicted Alford of all the charges after a week-long trial and more than 13 hours of deliberations.
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At the time, Alford, of Holloway, north London, put his head in his hands and shouted “wrong, I didn’t do this” from the dock as the verdicts were read out. When he was arrested, Alford, who began acting aged nine, said he was a father and in a relationship.
The disgraced former star, who also admitted to having suffered mental health difficulties, previously spent time in jail and has a number of previous convictions. In 1999, he was convicted of supplying drugs to an undercover journalist and served six weeks of a nine-month sentence.
He has claimed he was “blacklisted” as an actor as a result. He also has previous convictions for disorderly behaviour, drink-driving, causing criminal damage and obstructing police.
If you are 18 or under and have been affected by this story, you can contact Childline, confidentially on 0800 1111. You can also contact the NSPCC Helpline by phoning 0808 800 500 or emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
* If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
