A MUSSELBURGH man who assaulted a social worker has been remanded in custody after he failed to attend meetings to allow criminal justice social work reports to be prepared on him.

Ben Vanhagen, 22, assaulted Keith Sutherland by punching him to the head during an incident at Shrub Mount, Edinburgh, on January 23.

Vanhagen was arrested and pleaded guilty to the assault when he appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court the following day.

He also admitted carrying out the attack while on bail orders from the court on three separate occasions.

He was released on bail with the condition he attend for the reports to be prepared before sentence could be imposed.

But when Vanhagen appeared back in the dock at the city centre court on Monday, Sheriff Iain Nicol was told that the offender had failed to turn up for his appointment with the social work department.

Sheriff Nicol told Vanhagen, of the town’s Delta Road, that he was remanding him in custody for the reports to be completed.

Sentence was further deferred to March 11.