A DRINK-DRIVER got behind the wheel to ‘get rid’ of her ex-partner after an argument in a west Cumbrian pub.

Police were called to the area of Ramsay Brow in Workington following a domestic dispute between Dawn Crosby, 50, and a man on June 16.

A member of the public, who reported the incident, saw the man removing car keys from the defendant, Workington Magistrates’ Court was told.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said Crosby and the man were located by the police at Portland Square and the defendant had been drink-driving.

She provided a breath sample at the police station and gave a reading of 71mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit to drive is 35mcg.

Cosby told police she had been in Vinnie’s Bar with her ex-partner and they’d had an argument. She said she drove him home to ‘get rid of him’. She said she shouldn’t have done it but wanted to get away from him.

John Cooper, defending, said: “She had been with her ex-partner. Driven him away from the area. She shouldn’t have done. She was fully cooperative with police.

“She saved them a lot of time and effort by saying, ‘I was driving the car’.”

Mr Cooper said a driving disqualification was going to have a ‘massive impact’ on the defendant, who lives ‘in the middle of nowhere’.

He added: “She’s going to have to work out if she can continue her employment or not.”

Crosby of Bolton Low Houses, Wigton, pleaded guilty to driving with alcohol level above the limit.

Passing sentence, magistrates said it was ‘a daft thing to do’ and imposed an 18-month driving ban, to be reduced by 18 weeks, if Crosby completes the drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.

She was fined £341 and must also pay £85 costs and a £136 victim surcharge.