Kenneth Anthony Shenton, 25, Laidley, pleads guilty in Ipswich court

A Laidley man has been sentenced for a string of offences including three sexual assaults and attacking a man in a pub with a pool cue.

A Laidley man has been sentenced for a string of offences triggered by his alcohol abuse. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

A Laidley man has been sentenced for a string of offences including three sexual assaults and attacking a man in a pub with a pool cue.

Kenneth Anthony Shenton, 25, plead guilty in the Ipswich District Court to eight charges including assault occasioning bodily harm, common assault, unlawfully wound another, two wilful damage offences and three sexual assault offences.

The court heard that on or about January 14 last year Shenton entered a hotel and assaulted staff members.

Shenton was playing pool at the time before he threatened to strike a man with a pool cue and smashed a glass door.

After the altercation with staff, outside the hotel, he ran back inside where the duty manager put Shenton in a headlock.

But he broke free and lunged at him with a knife causing injuries to his torso and legs which required ten stitches.

The court also heard in June last year sexually assaulted a woman at her house.

The pair lived in the same area and he would mow her lawn on occasion, the court was told.

But on that day Shenton went to the victim’s house while drunk and after a conversation kissed and groped her.

The victim texted her sister to come to the house to help and the court was told his unwanted advances stopped only after the sister and Shenton’s wife arrived.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said Shenton has a lengthy criminal history and had abused alcohol and drugs in the past.

He said it was clear the main factor in all the incidents was alcohol.

The court heard however that he now had a partner who supported him as well as three young children, one with autism.

He was given wholly suspended sentences of five years on all charges, to be served concurrently, except for the sexual assault charges for which he was sentenced to two years, wholly suspended.

He had already served 459 days in pre-sentence custody.

Originally published as Kenneth Anthony Shenton, 25, Laidley, pleads guilty in Ipswich court