A MAN who repeatedly hit a teenage girl in the face has avoided jail.

Alan Loughlin, 20, of Titania Close, Colchester, left the 17-year-old with two black eyes, a swollen left cheek, swelling above her right eye and scratch marks.

He got involved in a row between two woman at his home, on November 27 last year, and ended up attacking one of them.

Loughlin was originally charged with causing grievous bodily harm, but this was downgraded to actual bodily harm.

He, and a co-defendant, were due to face a trial at Ipswich Crown Court, but on the day of the trial he changed his plea.

Charges against the co-defendant were dropped.

Loughlin was given a nine month sentence in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for two years.

He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and take part in a relationships programme designed to reduce reoffending.

Loughlin appeared in court last year for intimidating a witness in connection with the Jay Whiston murder trial.

Jay, 17, was stabbed to death by teenager Edward Redman outside a house party in Marlowe Way, Colchester, in September 2012 .

Loughlin, a friend of Redman’s, tried to disrupt the trial.

In May 2013, he approached a girl, aged 16, at Colchester Institute, who was due to be a witness for the prosecution, and called her a snitch.

In May last year, he admitted a charge of putting her in fear of violence and harassment and was jailed for four months.