Stephen Jeremy Shorter in court for assault occasioning bodily harm

A former truck driver spiralled into a drunken rage when he was denied entry to his brother’s home. What he did next left his brother’s roommate in hospital.

A thrown beer bottle was the start of a former truck driver’s brutal assault against a man who chased the drunk away from his home.

Stephen Jeremy Shorter, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm in Gympie District Court on Thursday.

Crown prosecutor Edward Fleetwood told the court Shorter was forced to leave his brother’s house by his roommate following an argument several days prior to the assault.

Shorter appeared outside the house clearly intoxicated about 8pm on March 4 to pick up his phone after it was there for a week during the Gympie floods.

He was asked to leave again by the roommate.

The roommate’s request was met by a beer bottle hurtling towards him, who ducked to narrowly avoid getting hit.

Stephen Jeremy Shorter appeared from custody in Gympie District Court on November 10, 2022.

Shorter tackled the man against the wall of the house and smashed his fist into the roommate about 10 times, the court heard.

The attack left the man motionless on the ground.

Shorter kicked the man in the stomach and stomped on his head until his brother intervened and stopped the assault.

The victim was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises on his face.

He suffered fractures to his nose and eye socket, and his eye was swollen shut and required stitching, the court heard.

Stephen Jeremy Shorter was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment to be released on parole on November 10, 2022.

Police visited Shorter’s home that same night and did not offer him an interview due to his “state of intoxication”, defence counsel Amelia Loode said.

Shorter had cuts on his knuckles and “bloody shorts” and acted aggressively towards the officers, Mr Fleetwood said.

He was arrested and had been in custody since.

Shorter previously worked as a truck driver, then a labourer and is a father to three children, Ms Loode told the court

He was on parole for ransacking an elderly woman’s home in 2021.

“Your attack on this man was violent, completely unjustified,” Judge Glen Cash said.

He sentenced Shorter to 15 months prison with immediate release on parole.

Four and a half months was declared as time served out of his eight months spent in custody.

Originally published as Stephen Jeremy Shorter in court for assault occasioning bodily harm