A WOMAN banned from being drunk in public was seen crawling towards a road and shouting at members of the public while intoxicated.

Cheryl Bragg, 55, was given a criminal behaviour order in January 2022 which prohibits her from being drunk in a public place, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Pamela Fee said police were called at 1pm on February 24 to a report of a female who was ‘crawling towards the road’ and shouting at passersby in Whitehaven.

Police arrived and spoke with Bragg who nearly fell over and had to be held up by one of the officers. Her speech was slurred and she was not understandable. Her eyes were glazed and she was unsteady on her feet.

Officers carried out some checks and discovered that Bragg had a criminal behaviour order which bans her from being drunk in a public place. She was taken to custody.

Ms Fee said it was the eleventh breach of the order that had taken place.

John Cooper, defending, said:  “Her brother has passed away with cancer. Her son has got his own issues. That has got too much for her. She has got drunk and has gone out in public.

“There is no suggestion she is causing distress to anyone else.

“This is someone who has got issues with alcohol and could do with some help.

“We are running out of space in custody for people. Is this someone you should send to custody or should you save that for someone who is a significant risk to members of the public?”

A probation officer said Bragg had been released from custody in November 2023 and was now on post-sentence supervision. She had been abstinent from alcohol for four months while subject to an alcohol monitoring requirement.

There had been recent trauma that she had struggled to cope with, the court was told.

Bragg, of Windermere Road, Woodhouse, Whitehaven, admitted breaching a criminal behaviour order.

Magistrates imposed a community order with a 120-day alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement. Bragg must also pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.