A BONHILL woman who tried to escape a drug possession charge by throwing a banned substance from the window of a moving car has been advised to grab a lifeline offered to her.

Lisa Marie Coll appeared in court on Thursday four weeks after a sheriff asked for a drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) assessment on the 35-year-old O'Hare resident.

Her solicitor, James Roberton, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that the assessment had not yet been carried out, partly because his client had not been able to afford the bus fare to get to an appointment at a local treatment centre.

Coll previously admitted charges of intentionally obstructing police by throwing a controlled drug from the vehicle in Cables Drive in Alexandria on January 13 last year, and of being in possession of the class A drug  diamorphine on the same day with intent to supply it to others.

The drug, which was recovered by police, had an estimated value of £240.

Mr Roberton said: "She says there is a very steep hill to the centre, and was unable to tackle that without bus tokens, which weren't available.

"Her mother is now in employment and she will ensure she has money to make the journey."

At Coll's last appearance in the dock, on February 9, the court heard how police had pursued a Ford Focus in which Coll was a passenger, intending to carry out a routine check, and had seen an article being discarded from the rear offside passenger window.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry replied: "A DTTO would be likely to last for at least two years and would involve a substantial number of appointment which would require to be attended.

"This doesn't bode well."

Turning to address Coll directly, the sheriff said: "I commonly describe a DTTO as a lifeline.

"A lifeline is a length of rope thrown into the sea to save someone who is drowning.

"You are the person who is drowning. You have to get hold of the lifeline, and you have to keep hold of it."

Sentence was deferred until April 6 to allow the DTTO assessment to be carried out.