AceShowbiz - Actor Nicholas Brendon has been handed a one-year suspended jail sentence after pleading no contest to battery and vandalism charges stemming from a drunken bust-up with police in March. Officers were called to investigate a man causing a commotion in Venice, California, and when they arrived at the scene, Brendon, who is said to have been inebriated, allegedly refused to co-operate and ran away - forcing police to use a Taser gun on him.

The former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star was hospitalized and booked for vandalism after allegedly damaging property during the scuffle. He was also charged with resisting arrest and hit with two counts of battery against a police officer, leaving him facing up to two years behind bars.

But Brendon landed a lucky break from Los Angeles authorities on Friday, June 18 when he pleaded no contest to the four misdemeanors - a judge decided to place him on 36 months probation and give him a suspended sentence instead, reports TMZ.com. The actor has also been banned from drinking alcohol in public while on probation and ordered to complete an anger management course and 10 days in a work program.