A TRANENT teenager has avoided a jail sentence after he admitted a series of assault charges.

Christian Buchanan punched a woman in the face before striking her head against metal shutters at the Day-Today store on the town’s Bridge Street.

Buchanan also assaulted a second woman by pushing her, kicking her to the body and breaking her glasses during the same incident, which took place on November 13 last year.

Buchanan, of King’s Road, also admitted to a charge of shouting, swearing and uttering threats of violence towards the women.

Further charges he admitted included spitting in the face of a police officer and attempting to kick him on the body during a separate incident at King’s Road on January 9 this year.

The 19-year-old also uttered threats of violence and offensive remarks towards a woman moments before the police assault took place.

Sheriff Nigel Ross was also told that Buchanan committed a serious offence of publishing an intimate video of the woman on social media at an address in Haddington.

The sheriff sentenced Buchanan to a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody during a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Tuesday.

Buchanan was placed on supervision for the next two years to monitor his future behaviour.

He was also told he must stay within his home address and wear an electronic tag between the hours of 8pm and 7am for the next eight months.

Buchanan admitted assaulting two women and uttering threats of violence towards them at Bridge Street, Tranent, on November 13 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and making threats towards a woman at King’s Road, Tranent, on January 9 this year.

And the teenager also admitted to posting an intimate video of one of the women he had previously assaulted on social media at an address in Haddington on January 9 this year.