A Hadleigh man who sexually assaulted a schoolboy more than a decade ago has been given a two year prison sentence suspended for two years.

Ashley Shannon was arrested after the victim broke down in front of his parents last year and claimed he had been sexually assaulted by Shannon, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The victim had fallen asleep on a couch and was aggressive when his mother woke him.

His parents tried to calm him down but he started crying and claimed he had been sexually assaulted by Shannon.

Shannon, 26, of Ansell Close, Hadleigh, denied three offences of sexually assaulting the victim but was convicted after a trial.

He had previously admitted three offences of indecently assaulting the same victim.

In addition to the suspended sentence he was given a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register, both for five years.

Ian Persaud, for Shannon, said his client had suffered from mental health issues for a number of years and when he was 17 he had been detained for treatment.