A “HEARTBROKEN” woman was over twice the legal drink drive limit when she went to meet her ex-partner after drinking at a birthday party.

Sarah Hunter, 34, from Eaglescliffe near Stockton-on-Tees, was stopped by police while driving on the A167 near Chilton in County Durham on March 26.

She failed a breathalyser test and was found with 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – more than twice the legal limit of 35mg.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard that Hunter’s partner had left her the day before and she had gone with a friend to a birthday party, where she had drunk some wine.

After leaving the party she fell asleep before her former partner called and asked her to meet him.

Rebecca Suttle, mitigating, said Hunter was “heartbroken” and “extremely upset” on the day of the incident.

She added: “She was too upset to remain at the party so she went to bed, she had some water and she fell asleep. At some point she had a call from her partner asking to see her. Miss Hunter says it was stupid but it didn’t cross her mind that she would be affected.”

Hunter, of Meadowfield Drive, was banned from driving for 20 months and given fines and court costs of £690.