A DUNBAR man has escaped a jail sentence for a “shocking” attack which left his victim permanently scarred.

Jordan McGregor punched and kicked James Wilson to the head and body during an incident at the town’s High Street last year.

Mr Wilson was also struck with an unknown object during the attack, which also involved other men.

The victim was left permanently scarred following the brutal attack.

McGregor appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday, where he had previously admitted the attack on Mr Wilson in May last year.

The 20-year-old was told he had carried out a “shocking level of violence” towards Mr Wilson and was fortunate not to be handed a custodial sentence.

Instead, Sheriff John Cook saw fit to issue McGregor with a community payback order containing an unpaid work element to it.

McGregor will carry out 145 hours of unpaid work in the community and will also have to remain inside his home address between 10pm and 6am and will have to wear an electronic tag.

McGregor was also ordered to pay Mr Wilson £700 in compensation.

McGregor, of Kirk Way, also admitted to a drug charge when he appeared in the dock whereby he possessed cannabis at the Castle Hotel, Dunbar, on June 11 last year.

Angela Craig, defending, said that, though her client was facing a “very serious charge”, he had changed his lifestyle and was not mixing with the same crowd anymore.

Ms Craig said her client was now showing “a sense of maturity” not obvious before and that he was “growing up, thankfully”.

The solicitor said McGregor was “not frightened of hard work” and was “willing to pay compensation”.

Sheriff John Cook told McGregor: “There was a shocking level of violence shown in this assault.

“But by way of a slim margin, I have decided to spare you from custody.”

McGregor admitted to assaulting James Wilson by punching him on the head and body, chasing him and striking him with an unknown implement, fighting with him, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly punching and kicking him to the head and body, all to his injury, at High Street, Dunbar, on May 28 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis at Castle Hotel, Dunbar, on June 11 last year.