A FORMER Tranent resident who assaulted a woman while she was pregnant has been jailed following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Josh McNeill attacked the woman by punching her and stamping on her head and body, as well as punching her while she was pregnant, during horrific incidents in Tranent and Musselburgh.

McNeill, who has since moved from the town to live in Perth, also battered the woman on the thigh with a crutch and dragged her upstairs by the hair during several episodes over a four-year period.

McNeill, 40, also shouted, swore and uttered threats of violence against two further people and challenged one man to fight with him.

McNeill stood trial at the city court last week and, following the evidence over four days, a jury found McNeill guilty of two charges and cleared him of two further charges.

Sheriff Michael O’Grady jailed McNeill for 18 months for the attacks and also issued a 10-year non-harassment order preventing him from approaching or contacting the woman he assaulted.

McNeill was found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by uttering threats to two people and challenging one man to fight with him at McNeill Path, Tranent, between August 1, 2012, and December 1, 2013.

He was also found guilty of assaulting a woman by repeatedly slapping her, repeatedly punching her to the head and body, stamping on her, striking her with a crutch and punching her while she was pregnant, and seizing her by the hair and dragging her upstairs by her hair at various addresses in Edinburgh, Tranent and Musselburgh between October 1, 2009, and November 30, 2013.

McNeill was cleared of two further allegations, including assaulting a one-year-old child by slapping him, and a three-year-old child by shaking her violently.