John Alford demise: London’s Burning actor dies in jail whereas serving sexual assault sentence | EUROtoday

Former actor John Alford has died in jail, simply two months after being jailed for sexually assaulting two women.

Alford was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in January after being convicted of assaulting the youngsters throughout a celebration at a pal’s residence in April 2022.

The 54-year-old, who appeared in London’s Burning and the BBC drama Grange Hillwas discovered responsible of 4 counts of sexual exercise with a 14-year-old lady and costs of sexual assault and assault by penetration referring to a 15-year-old lady at a property in Hertfordshire.

The Prison Service mentioned that he died at HMP Bure in Norfolk on Friday.

“As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate,” a Prison Service spokesman mentioned.

During the trial, jurors heard that the defendant, who was charged beneath his actual title John Shannon, sexually assaulted the ladies whereas they had been drunk following an evening out on the pub. All of the offences occurred on the residence of a 3rd lady.

The former actor purchased some £250 price of meals, alcohol and cigarettes from a close-by petrol station within the early hours of the morning, together with a bottle of vodka which the victims subsequently drank, the courtroom heard.

Alford then had sexual activity with the 14-year-old lady within the backyard of the house and later in a downstairs rest room, and inappropriately touched the 15-year-old lady as she lay half asleep on the lounge couch, jurors heard.

Police obtained a third-party report from the 15-year-old lady’s mom outlining the allegations two days later, earlier than the defendant was arrested.

The 15-year-old lady mentioned in her proof that she had felt “absolutely sick” following the assault and had deliberate to maintain the incident secret earlier than having a “mental breakdown” to her pal’s mom.

Alford advised jurors in the course of the trial that every one the allegations had been “scandalous” and a “set-up”, and that there was no DNA proof to help the assaults.

Alford was beforehand convicted of supplying illicit medicine to former News of the World journalist Mazher Mahmood, who was often known as the “fake sheikh”, following a trial in 1999, and was jailed for 9 months.