A student who bit his lover on her bottom while they were having sex has been landed with a criminal conviction for assault after she complained to police.

Samuel Price, 24, and Elizabeth Sandlin, 20, who had an on-off relationship, ended up in bed together after exchanging flirty texts on Valentine’s Day.

But Price, who was drunk, ‘went too far’ and became rough – pulling Miss Sandlin’s hair and biting her on the neck.

Samuel John Price, from Higher Kinnerton, near Chester (pictured left) claimed he thought Elizabeth Sandlin (right) was 'enjoying it' when he sunk his teeth into her body and pulled her hair, a court heard

When officers showed Price a photograph of the bite marks (pictured) he remarked: ‘Bloody hell'

A court heard she got up and started crying, before Price hugged her and persuaded her to come back to bed.

But once under the covers he bit her on the bottom and thigh, leaving a large bruise. At 4.30am, Miss Sandlin called a cab home and contacted police.

Price was arrested but denied assaulting Miss Sandlin, who was on a gap year after leaving the £11,700-a-year Abbey Gate College, near Chester.

He told officers he was ‘not out of control’ and that Miss Sandlin had been ‘moaning’ and enjoying herself. He claimed he bit her on the bottom ‘to cheer her up’ and was ‘trying to turn her on’.

But – after viewing photographs of her injuries – magistrates in Mold, north Wales, convicted Price of common assault and ordered him to pay his former lover £200 compensation and costs of £850.

He was also told to complete 40 hours of unpaid work.

Last night Price apologised to Miss Sandlin, but told the Daily Mail he ‘couldn’t believe’ he had a conviction over the matter.

‘I really can’t believe it would go so far as to get to court,’ he said, adding: ‘Of course I apologise to Elizabeth.’

A court heard Price (pictured right), who was drunk, ‘went too far’ and became rough – pulling Miss Sandlin’s hair and biting her on the neck. Miss Sandlin (left) said that since the assault she has had trouble sleeping

Miss Sandlin, who is hoping to start a creative writing degree at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, in September, said: ‘I trusted someone I should not have trusted.

'He was very drunk, blind drunk. He completely overstepped the mark. I was shocked.’

The court heard that the incident happened at Price’s family home, a £1million eight-bedroomed farmhouse in the picturesque village of Higher Kinnerton, near Chester, on February 14.

The couple had an on-off relationship for a year after meeting in a nightclub, but had not seen each other for six months because Price had broken his leg.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that on Valentine’s Day Price had been at a wedding, where he had drunk seven pints, while Miss Sandlin, who lives with her civil engineer father and housewife mother in Guilden Sutton, near Chester, was out with friends in the city centre.

The pair – who both accepted their relationship was not emotional but purely physical – had been texting each other during the day and Miss Sandlin, who was tipsy, accepted an invitation to go to Price’s home late in the evening.

Miss Sandlin realised Price was drunk because he kept laughing for no reason and picked her up, accidentally hitting her head on the kitchen door in the process.

Once in the bedroom, he also took a cover off his broken leg and threw it towards her, banging her nose – but she told police that was also an accident.

They began to have sex, but Price started biting Miss Sandlin on the neck and pulling her hair, making her feel frightened.

Flint Magistrates' Court (pictured) heard how Price, from Higher Kinnerton, near Chester, thought Elizabeth Sandin was 'enjoying it' when he sunk his teeth into her body and began pulling her hair

The court heard Miss Sandlin accepted she could have left at any time, but said she was scared Price would get angry.

Miss Sandlin said she became upset because Price took hold of her neck and started to choke her.

But he laughed and let her go when she said ‘No’ and began to cough.

The court heard she went into the bathroom crying.

But Price – who attended De Montfort University, Leicester, before leaving with plans to enrol on a different course – persuaded her to come back to bed, saying he had not intended to hurt her.

However, once in bed he bit her on the thigh and bottom. Price denied assault, telling police the sex was no more rough than normal.

But when officers showed him a photograph of the bite mark, he remarked: ‘Bloody hell.’

Damian Sabino, defending, said: ‘Rough and playful sex was part of their relationship. On this occasion his perception was blurred. It appears that he went too far and he is certainly paying the price.’