New details surrounding the criminal past of a disgraced actor who sexually assaulted two teenage girls in Hertfordshire have emerged.
Former London's Burning actor John Alford was jailed to eight and a half years in prison at St Albans Crown Court in January.
The 54-year-old, of Holloway, north London, stood trial under his real name, John Shannon, in September last year.
He 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.
Born in Glasgow, Alford rose to fame as fireman Billy Ray in ITV drama London’s Burning in the 1990s.
Alford was convicted six times for a total of 14 offences, documents reveal (Image: Jordan Pettitt)
Unlocked using the Freedom of Information Act, the disgraced actor's criminal records have revealed new details of his criminal past.
The former star of Grange Hill was convicted six times for a total of 14 offences, including "offences against property" and "public disorder".
On May 26, 1999, Alford, appeared at at Snaresbrook Crown Court, in Redbridge, London, with supplying class A and class B drugs.
Widely reported at the time, he was later found guilty of supplying cocaine and cannabis to an undercover News of the World reporter.
Sentencing him at the same court, Judge Stephen Robbins imposed a nine-month prison sentence and ordered Alford to pay £3,000 in costs.
On November 10, 2004, the star was convicted of using disorderly behaviour or threatening words "likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress".
According to police records, the 54-year-old had booked into a hotel room with friends while in an "extremely drunken state" at 4am on October 10 that year.
Alford's records reveal he "became loud and rowdy before causing damage to the room and contents when arrested for criminal damage".
Alford's criminal records have been released using the Freedom of Information Act (Image: PA Media)
He pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court and fined £100 and ordered to pay £40 in costs.
Less than two years later, on January 9, 2006, Alford was sentenced at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court after admitting to drink driving.
He was handed a 16-month driving ban after crashing his Rover into three cars in Islington, north London, on April 2 the previous year.
Alford pleaded guilty to a minor road traffic offence which occurred on the same date and was fined £150 and ordered to pay £100 in costs.
He next appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on October 10, 2018, accused of smashing the window of a council bin lorry.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage but entered a not guilty plea to two counts of assault on a police officer.
Alford later pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting an officer and was given a 12-month community order at a sentencing hearing on January 29, 2019.
He was also ordered to pay a total of £400 in compensation, complete a rehabilitative activity and serve a curfew on an electronic tag.
Born in Glasgow, Alford rose to fame as fireman Billy Ray in ITV drama London’s Burning (Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Police records reveal Alford was also issued with two fixed penalty notices between December 2010 and 2017.
The first was issued on December 2, 2010, after he was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
The second was issued on September 7, 2017, when Alford was again arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.
Officers were called to a McDonald's restaurant but the actor left the scene and was later "found by police nearby walking in the road, causing cars to swerve to avoid him".
Alford was found unresponsive on his bed when staff opened his cell door at HMP Bure near Norwich and medics were called.
Norfolk Coroner's Court opened an inquest into the death of the 54-year-old on June 16 with his provisional cause of death given as ischaemic heart disease.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman confirmed it is conducting an independent investigation into the death.
Alford was convicted six times for a total of 14 offences, documents reveal (Image: Jordan Pettitt)
A spokesperson said: "We will make our final investigation report public after the inquest concludes."
During his trial last year, the court heard Alford sexually assaulted the girls while they were drunk following a night out at the pub.
The offences took place at the home of a third girl whose father was friends with Alford.
The disgraced actor purchased £250 worth of food, alcohol and cigarettes from a petrol station in the early hours of the morning.
Alford then had sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl in the garden and downstairs toilet of the home.
He also inappropriately touched the 15-year-old girl as she lay half asleep on the living room sofa.
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