A WOMAN breached a suspended sentence order by drinking while subject to an alcohol tag.

Kylie Townsley, 36, failed to comply with a community requirement of a suspended sentence order by having a high level alcohol alert on August 3.

Townsley, of Loweswater Avenue, Whitehaven, had been given an eight-week jail term, suspended for 12 months and a 120-day alcohol abstinence and monitoring programme for her part in a violent pub brawl earlier this year.

She admitted being in breach of the order when she appeared before Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

A probation officer said a further alcohol requirement would be unrealistic for Townsley to comply with. She would have more benefit from an alcohol treatment requirement, and this would be ‘by no means an easy get-out’ for Townsley, the court was told.

John Cooper, defending, said: “I was here when she was sentenced. I’ve dealt with her for over 10 years. I know she has had trouble with alcohol a lot of that time. I did have some reservations about an alcohol tag.

“Just before she came to court, she has been in hospital and got told her alcohol is an issue. She has done well on the order but unfortunately she has slipped.

“Giving her another one is setting her up to fail. Recovery Steps are offering to work with her. She was very proud of herself. If you can give her this order, it will help.”

Magistrates imposed a three-month alcohol treatment requirement.