AN ALEXANDRIA woman tried to escape punishment by police by throwing a quantity of heroin from the window of a moving vehicle.

But Lisa Marie Coll's attempt to throw them off the scent was thwarted when police in a following vehicle stopped, picked the item up from the road and then caught up with and stopped the car in which Coll was a passenger.

Coll, of O'Hare in Bonhill, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for sentencing on Thursday after pleading guilty to charges of intentionally obstructing police and being in possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply it to others in Cables Drive in Alexandria.

Fiscal depute Aga Mathieson told the court police had been carrying out a routine check on a Ford Focus driving ahead of them on the morning of January 13 last year.

She said: “They decided to carry out a routine check At that time they observed an article being discarded from the rear passenger offside window.

“Police stopped their vehicle, recovered the item and followed the vehicle. As they stopped it, the accused made an admission that the discarded article was hers, and that it contained heroin.”

Mrs Mathieson told the court the drug had an estimated value of £240.

Coll's solicitor, Mr Roberton, said his client was in poor health and in receipt of benefits.

He said: “Her record of previous convictions reveals an analogous offence in 2010, for which she received a 12-month probation order, but she has not been in any bother since then, with the exception of one or two minor matters.

“The quantity was purchased for £70 with a view to sharing it with two other occupants in the car. No proceedings were taken against the others in the vehicle.

“Police were looking for a search warrant for her home but she said there was no need, and allowed them to search her house. Nothing was found to suggest she was a drug dealer.

“She has tried to stop taking heroin since then, but admits she had a relapse in October.

“She has never had a custodial sentence, and there are other options available to the court.

“This is a serious offence, but she is trying her best to stay off drugs.”

Sheriff Simon Pender deferred sentence for four weeks for an assessment of whether 35-year-old Coll would be suitable for a drug treatment and testing order.