Woman jailed for affray on night of street death

A woman has been jailed for affray in the lead-up to the death of a 26-year-old who was found unconscious in a street.

Rebecca Kearsley was convicted of threatening or using unlawful violence in Ulverston, Cumbria, on 20 February 2023, the night Holly Lambert died.

But the court heard there was no evidence that her death was caused by an assault.

Kearsley, 42, from Ulverston, was jailed for 16 weeks when she appeared before magistrates in Barrow.

She was initially arrested on suspicion of murder along with a man and another woman.

Police later told the other two suspects they faced no further action.

Kearsley was then told she faced no further action on suspicion of murder but that she was still being charged in connection with Miss Lambert's death.

Miss Lambert was found unconscious in County Square and was pronounced dead at the scene when the emergency services arrived.

Her family described her as having a "big heart" and said she was "one of a kind".

She had been set to get married in August 2023.

Follow BBC Cumbria on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.