Former television actor John Alford has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for a series of predatory sex offences against two teenage girls at a house party in Hertfordshire.
A Predatory Night at a House Party
The 54-year-old actor, who rose to fame as Robbie Wright in Grange Hill and later as firefighter Billy Ray in London's Burning, was convicted of six charges following a trial at St Albans Crown Court. The jury found him guilty by a 10-2 majority on 5 September after more than 13 hours of deliberation.
The court heard how Alford, who appeared under his real name John Shannon, spent the evening of 8 April 2022 at a pub with the father of another girl before going to a property where the offences occurred. As others went to bed in the early hours, he was left alone with the two victims, aged 14 and 15.
Alford briefly left to buy a bottle of vodka from a nearby petrol station. Upon his return, he asked the 14-year-old to sit on his lap while he smoked a cigarette in the garden. He then proceeded to kiss and touch her before having sex with her, an act she said lasted no longer than ten minutes.
Later, he had sex with the same girl for a second time in a downstairs toilet. The court was told the actor also sexually assaulted the 15-year-old victim while sitting between the two dozing girls.
Victims' Harrowing Testimony and the Trial
The younger victim, who had turned 18 by the time of the trial in September, gave tearful evidence. She revealed she had never had sex before and told Alford to stop, stating "I didn't want to have sex with an old man." When asked why she complied with his instructions, she explained, "Most children, if an adult is telling you to do something, you'll do it ... especially if you are drunk or impaired."
The 15-year-old victim described how Alford touched her as they were "dozing off," which made her feel "absolutely sick." The abuse was reported to police two days later by the older girl's mother, after she broke down and confided in a friend's parent.
Throughout the trial, Alford vehemently denied all charges. He claimed the girls were attempting to blackmail him, alleging he received a call from a man with an "Irish-sounding traveller-type voice" demanding money. No evidence supporting this claim was found on any of the phones examined. He told the jury he "never touched either of them girls" and would stand by his denial "until the day I die."
Sentencing and a Career Derailed
Returning to court for sentencing, Recorder Caroline Overton told Alford his focus had been on the impact on himself and his family rather than the victims, which limited the mitigation available. She handed down a custodial sentence of eight years and six months.
Senior Crown prosecutor Chris White stated: "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. His sentence today sends a clear message."
Laura Harrison, a civilian investigator from Hertfordshire Constabulary, said Alford showed no remorse and his behaviour was "predatory and carried out solely for his own sexual gratification."
This conviction is another devastating chapter for the actor, whose career was previously derailed in 1999 when he was jailed for nine months for supplying drugs to an undercover reporter. Despite attempts to revive his career, including reality TV appearances, this latest sentence marks a profound fall from grace for the once-popular star.
