The sauciness of "Fifty Shades of Grey"--the titillating trilogy that millions of women around the world are reading this summer--turned literal late last month, when a 31-year-old British man, apparently upset that his girlfriend was one of them, assaulted her with a bottle of steak sauce.

According to authorities in Carlisle, U.K., Raymond Hodgson was so bothered that his girlfriend, Emma McCormick, was reading E.L. James' "pornographic" and "distasteful" book, he drove to her house and squirted her in the face.

According to the Carlisle News & Star, the couple had been arguing and exchanging text messages before the sauce assault.

McCormick "answered the door and the argument continued," prosecutors said. "She went to close the door and [Hodgson] jammed his foot into the door, slapped her once in the face, and then squirted her with this bottle of sauce."

[Also read: Behind the 'Fifty Shades' frenzy]

Hodgson, who denies slapping McCormick, pleaded guilty to assault and was ordered to pay 185 pounds in fines, including 100 pounds to McCormick. The judge also imposed a six-week, 6 p.m. curfew for the convicted saucer.

Meanwhile, the "Fifty Shades" frenzy continues unabated. Hotels in the Pacific Northwest--where the novel is set--are offering special "sexy weekend getaways," according to CNN. The erotic novel is spurring sales of the classical music featured in its pages, according to NPR. And sales of the book itself are expected to eclipse the 20 million mark faster than "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."