A BONHILL woman took a knife that was almost a foot long out of her handbag at the River Leven.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard that 48-year-old Sharon McShane was seen with the blade by two people fishing at the tow path near Bonhill Bridge.

The incident occurred on June 12 of last year.

Last Thursday, fiscal depute Alastair Mitchell told the court: “She said to the two witnesses, ‘Sorry about the blood, I cut myself’, but there was no blood and no injury in evidence.”

The police arrived and found an intoxicated McShane by the side of the river and saw her throw the 30cm-long black-handled knife into the water.

She told the officers she would not have harmed anyone except herself.

McShane, of Nobleston, pleaded guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing.

She appeared in court on January 7 for sentencing.

Sheriff Craig Turnbull heard she was making progress with a community payback order (CPO) for a separate offence and deferred sentence for six months for a CPO review and for her to be of good behaviour.