A jealous keen sportsman had bitten and punched his girlfriend at their Gwynedd home – breaking her nose, a court heard on Thursday.

Gareth Vaughan Edwards, 28, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and was jailed for 21 months at Caernarfon crown court. A ten-year restraining order was made.

Judge Huw Rees said his offending was linked largely to excessive drinking.

Prosecutor Ffion Tomos said Edwards and Nerys Williams, 31, had been in a relationship for a decade and lived together in Carneddi Road, Bethesda.

But in June Miss Williams went on a works night out at Conwy with women colleagues and the defendant had been annoyed that he wasn’t invited.

Counsel said when the victim returned home Edwards had been argumentative and shouted. He emptied a lager bottle into her hair.

When Miss Williams went to bed, she was awoken by Edwards grabbing her ankles and dragging her. He pinned his partner on the bed and placed his hands around her neck. “She genuinely feared he was going to kill her,” Miss Tomos said.

She was punched to the face and bitten on her arm and chest. The bloodied victim kicked the defendant and ran outside and hid in a garden bush.

Miss Williams said she now suffered flashbacks and panic attacks.

The court heard Edwards played cricket and rugby.

Simon Rogers, defending, said he had been a digger driver. The relationship was over.

Judge Rees said Edwards had been jealous and humiliated his partner by pouring the contents of the bottle over her head. There was then a “cowardly” attack and it wasn’t the first time he had used violence against the victim.

The judge told him: "You demeaned yourself as a man.”