Sales advisor Suzie Stanford, 46, flipped after 19-year-old Tanya barricaded herself in her bedroom with Stuart Davis at the family home in Fletcher Close.

Magistrates in Eastbourne heard on Friday how Mr Davis hid in a wardrobe before police were called as the disturbance spilled out into the street.

The court was told Stanford swore at police and launched a four-letter tirade at her daughter.

She was eventually arrested after officers kicked in her front door when she refused to leave the house.

Jessica Clarke, prosecuting, told the court the fracas happened at about 3am on October 27 last year.

She said, "Police were called to Fletcher Close by an anonymous caller to reports of a fight in the street.

"Officers were informed it was because the defendant had found someone sleeping with her daughter in her house.

"An officer tried to calm her down but offensive language was still being used at police and her daughter.

"The defendant was asked to stop shouting for fear of waking the neighbours so Stanford then went back into the house and was later arrested."

Stanford denied causing harassment, alarm or distress but was convicted following a trial as her other daughter Michelle looked on from the public gallery.

Stanford told the court she came home from a night out to find Tanya in bed with the brother of Michelle's ex-fiance.

She said, "My daughter Michelle had found out that her fiance had been sleeping with her best mate and was devastated.

"We were out in Eastbourne and I was trying to calm her down. We got back home and Michelle wanted to see her sister obviously because she was upset.

"Tanya's an alcoholic and when she drinks vodka she has no understanding or awareness and gets into vulnerable positions. She was very drunk.

"We went back to my house and I became aware that Michelle could not get into Tanya's bedroom. It had been barricaded.

"I tried to get in the door and I was scared and frightened. I didn't know what I was going to see when I got in there.

"When I walked in the room I shouted, 'what's going on?'. I managed to get in and Stuart was in the wardrobe. Stuart is not her boyfriend.
"I asked him to leave the house and there was a bit of a scuffle."

Under cross examination, she added, "I didn't know what was going on in that room. I was concerned something untoward was going on."

When asked why Mr Davis was hiding in the cupboard, Stanford replied, "I believe it was because he was doing something he should not have been doing."

David Battaliou, defending, said, "She found her daughter in bed with another person who she doesn't know. Mothers are known to be protective about their children.

"It's quite reasonable behaviour to want to protect her daughter who she thought might have had too much alcohol."

Magistrates gave Stanford a two-year conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £455 court costs.