John Alford, once a familiar face on British television screens, was sentenced on January 14, 2026, to eight and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls. The former star of London's Burning and Grange Hill—who appeared in court under his real name, John Shannon—was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her 15-year-old friend during a house party in Hertfordshire in April 2022. The trial and subsequent sentencing at St Albans Crown Court have brought a dramatic and disturbing chapter to the actor's turbulent life, with the court and the victims describing the long-lasting scars left by his actions.
The events that led to Alford's conviction unfolded during the early hours of April 9, 2022, at a friend's house in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. According to BBC News and Sky News, Alford had spent the evening at a nearby pub with the homeowner—who was the father of another girl in the group—before returning to the house. After other adults and children went to bed, Alford, then 54, was left alone with the two victims. He left briefly to purchase about £250 worth of food, cigarettes, and most notably, a bottle of vodka from a petrol station. The alcohol was consumed by the two girls, aged 14 and 15, who were planning to stay the night at the house.
As the night wore on, Alford's predatory behavior escalated. The younger girl told police that Alford invited her to sit on his lap while he smoked a cigarette in the garden. He began to kiss and touch her before having sex with her in the garden, an encounter she said lasted "no longer than 10 minutes." Later, he had sex with her again in a downstairs toilet, this time for about five minutes. The girl, who was 14 at the time, said in her police interview, "I told him to stop because I didn't want to have sex with an old man." She also revealed that she had never had sex before the assault.
The older girl, 15, was sexually assaulted while half asleep on a living room sofa. She described how Alford, sitting between the two victims as they dozed off, began to touch her inappropriately. In her statement to the court, she said the experience made her feel "absolutely sick" and that she immediately showered after being dropped off at her friend's house the next day. The trauma lingered, and she eventually broke down while visiting another friend's home two days later, leading to the police being alerted. She later stated, "This man destroyed my mental wellbeing."
Both victims described the profound and ongoing impact the assaults had on their lives. The younger girl said in a statement read in court, "Being sexually assaulted affected me and my family in every way." She added that being hugged by her father no longer felt comfortable because "he was a man." The older girl revealed that she had attempted to take her own life as a result of the abuse. Recorder Caroline Overton, who presided over the trial, told Alford at sentencing, "The girls were in what should have been a safe environment when you returned to this house after a night at the pub… You were the one remaining adult, you were a trusted family friend and fully aware that the girls were 14 and 15 years of age." The judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order alongside the prison sentence.
Throughout the trial, Alford steadfastly denied all allegations. He claimed that the charges were part of a blackmail plot against him, insisting that the girls were "going to extort money from me." In court, he protested his innocence, at times breaking down in tears and telling jurors, "I haven't done this. No DNA. I didn't touch them. I think science proves me not guilty." Even as the guilty verdicts were read out in September 2025, Alford slumped in the dock, put his head in his hands, and shouted, "Wrong, I didn’t do this." He continued to maintain his innocence to the press after sentencing, declaring, "I'm an innocent man." However, the jury convicted him on all six charges by a 10-2 majority, and the court found no evidence to support his claims of a set-up or extortion attempt.
Chris White, a senior Crown prosecutor, commented after the sentencing, "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. Shannon’s sentence today sends a clear message – we will pursue those who target young people for their own gratification." Laura Harrison of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team added, "At no point did Shannon accept responsibility, admit guilt, or show any remorse for his actions. There is no doubt that Shannon’s behaviour that evening was predatory and carried out solely for his own sexual gratification."
Alford's fall from grace has been a long one. He began acting at the age of nine and rose to prominence as Robbie Wright in Grange Hill before starring as fireman Billy Ray in London's Burning. At the height of his fame in the 1990s, he was one of the most recognized faces on British television, with London's Burning drawing more than 18 million viewers a night. He even enjoyed chart success, with singles produced by Stock/Waterman reaching the UK Top 40.
But Alford’s career was derailed in 1999 when he was convicted of supplying cocaine and cannabis to News of the World journalist Mazher Mahmood, known as the "fake sheikh," in a tabloid sting. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and later received £500,000 in compensation after suing the now-defunct newspaper for phone hacking. Alford told the court that the conviction led to him being "blacklisted" from acting roles and contributed to his struggles with mental health and alcohol abuse. He described himself as a "weekly binger" at the time of the 2022 offences and admitted, "I'm an arsehole when I'm drunk to be honest with you." He also suffers from anxiety, depression, paranoia, and uses a hearing aid.
Despite attempts to revive his career with roles in reality TV and minor film appearances, Alford never regained his former status. His latest conviction, for offences committed while he was the only adult responsible for two vulnerable teenagers, has ensured that his name will now be associated with a far darker legacy. According to Sky News and BBC News, Alford must serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody before being eligible for release on licence. The message from the courts and law enforcement is clear: those who exploit and harm young people will be held to account, no matter their past fame.
The story of John Alford is a stark reminder that trust, once broken in such a profound way, leaves wounds that may never fully heal—for the victims, their families, and the many who once admired a familiar face on their television screens.
