A WOMAN was caught drink-driving after police received reports of her swerving across the A590 on her way back to Barrow.

Sharon Manhood had stopped in Barrow on the night of Friday with her then partner.

He ended up being arrested after allegedly assaulting her at a hotel and the following morning Manhood decided to drive back to her home in Manchester.

However, after setting off, she then changed her mind and turned round to head back to Barrow because she didn't want "to abandon him in custody".

Police received a number of calls about her "swerving" across the A590.

One eye-witness said Manhood almost caused two head-on collisions.

At South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on Wednesday prosecutor Pam Ward described the incident.

"The offence came to light after police were contacted on the morning of May 18," she said.

"The driver of a Fiat 500 had been seen swerving all over the road and had nearly caused two head-on collisions.

"PC Gemma Goodson located the vehicle and followed it into a lay-by.

"The defendant informed her she had been driving to Barrow to get her partner who was in custody.

"There was a half empty bottle of vodka behind the driver's seat."

Manhood, of Deyne Street in Salford, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to Barrow Police Station.

While in custody she provided a breath sample which recorded a reading of 91 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Defence solicitor Karen Templeton said 50-year-old Manhood was "truly sorry for her actions".

"She is mortified to find herself in court and has never been in any kind of trouble with the police," she said.

"She has worked all her life and she is clearly very upset about what has happened.

"She had come to Barrow with her partner, they had been drinking, there was an incident between them and he was arrested.

"She was very upset; she set off leaving Barrow and decided not to abandon him in custody and came back.

"She says a deer ran into the road and she managed to avoid it.

"She is mortified and she fully accepts she is guilty.

"She said she is truly sorry for her actions and deeply embarrassed.

"It is totally out of character and Miss Manhood has spoken of it with great shame; she is an honest hard-working mum.

"She says she doesn't have a problem drinking in any way."

Magistrates agreed to impose a low-level community order and gave Manhood credit for her early guilty plea.

She was disqualified from driving for 23 months which will be reduced by 23 weeks if she completes the drink drivers rehabilitation course.

She was given a three-week curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am and must also pay £85 court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.