A DRINK-DRIVING care assistant has been banned from driving after her partner called the police.

Sarah Brito, 48, of Sheffield Park Way, Eastbourne, was shopped by her boyfriend after she drove home drunk on the A259 Seaford, following an argument.

She was disqualified from driving for a year after pleading guilty at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard her partner called police to inform them Brito was driving, despite having drunk all day in Brighton city centre on August 25.

Police officers on patrol stopped Brito in her Ford Fiesta and found her reactions to be slow.

She was arrested at the roadside after failing a breath test. The care assistant was found to have 49 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 in 100 millilitres of breath.

Lucinda Doy, defending, told the court Brito took full responsibility for her actions.

After watching a show in Brighton and consuming alcohol, she was driven to her boyfriend’s flat in Newhaven.

But they had an argument and she got in her car to go back to her home in Eastbourne.

Her boyfriend then called police because he was worried about Brito driving back in the drunken state she was in.

Ms Doy told the court: “Her partner called police as he was concerned when she got in to the car.

“She is of good character and is horrified to find herself in court today.

“She was affected by alcohol and had heightened emotions following an argument.”

Chairwoman of magistrates Shirley Vening disqualified Brito from driving for 12 months.

She was also ordered to pay £281 in fines, court costs and a victim surcharge.

Mrs Vening said: “You are disqualified from driving.

“It means you cannot drive a vehicle on a public road for 12 months.

“If you are found driving again you will be taken in to custody and disqualified again.”

Brito also chose to take part in a drink-driving rehabilitation course to reduce the length of her disqualification.

The sentence comes after scores of drink-drivers were caught during Sussex Police’s summer drink and drug driving crackdown, known as Operation Dragonfly.

People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving.

They can also call 999 if they know someone is driving while over the limit through drink or drugs.