John Alford: Ex-Grange Hill star yelled ‘did Rupert Murdoch send you here to kill me?’ as he resisted arrest, court hears

Former London's Burning actor is said to have attempted to steal a bin lorry from refuse collectors

Former TV star John Alford arrives at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on 29 January, 2019. (PA)

Former London’s Burning star John Alford yelled “did Rupert Murdoch send you here to kill me?” as he resisted arrest after attempting to steal a bin lorry, a court heard.

The 47-year-old shot to fame on Grange Hill but his acting career came to an abrupt end when he was convicted of supplying cocaine to now-discredited News of the World journalist Mazher Mahmood.

Alford, whose real name is John Shannon, pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting an officer as his trial at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court was due to begin on Tuesday.

The court heard that at about 7.15am on 1 September, a refuse worker spotted Alford at the wheel of his Camden Council lorry in York Way, not far from the ex-actor's home.

Police Constables Darren Baker and Miranda Narcin were called to the scene and noted that Alford appeared to be under the influence as he began resisting arrest.

Body-worn camera footage showed Alford first arguing with the officers and claiming he was trying to stop the vehicle from rolling back.

But they then all fell to the ground as he resisted their attempts to restrain him.

His legs were strapped together as more officers arrived and he was heard shouting that he was “fighting corrupt police officers”.

John Alford in character in London's Burning in 1993. (PA)

He shouted: “In cahoots with News of the World. In cahoots with Mazher Mahmood.”

The court also heard him yell: “Did Rupert Murdoch [News of the World proprietor] send you here to kill me?”

Alford was due to stand trial but prosecutors dropped two charges of assaulting the constables as the case was due to open.

Prosecutor Matthew Groves said PC Narcin suffered bruising to her knees, and damage caused to the windscreen was estimated at £300.

Judge Gillian Allison said she was considering a community order as she adjourned sentencing to later in the day for a probation report.

Mr Groves told the court that PCs Baker and Narcin were first on the scene and Alford “immediately began physically resisting both officers”.

“Mr Shannon continued to resist the officer attempting to apply handcuffs to him and, during the struggle, PC Narcin fell heavily to her knees,” he said.

“PC Baker was struck by Mr Shannon’s foot to his stomach.”

The judge asked if police believed the defendant had been drinking.

“I think it was suspected he was under the influence of something,” Mr Groves said.

Alford’s career was largely destroyed when he was jailed for nine months in 1999 after being convicted of supplying cocaine to 'Fake Sheikh' Mahmood, the News of the World’s “King of the Sting”.

Mahmood was jailed for 15 months in 2016 for tampering with evidence in the collapsed drugs trial of pop star Tulisa Contostavlos.

Press Association contributed to this report