A DUMBARTON woman who was found in breach of a court's orders by being in the company of her ex has been spared jail.

Bobbi McIlroy's lawyer said his client's ex had gone to her home uninvited, rather than his client seeking out her former partner.

A court hearing was told McIlroy's ex had hidden in a wardrobe at the flat in Bellsmyre in a bid to avoid detection by the police.

McIlroy had been released on bail from Dumbarton Sheriff Court on March 12, with the order including a special bail condition barring her from any form of contact or communication with her ex.

But the 31-year-old breached the order by being in the man's company at her flat in Merkins Avenue in Bellsmyre on October 7.

Fiscal depute Emma Petterson said one of McIlroy's neighbours had heard an argument from her flat at 7.30am on the day of the breach.

"Police attended at around 8am," Ms Petterson said, "and after repeated knocking, the accused was heard within the property.

"Police explained the reason for their attending and asked for entry.

"After five minutes the accused opened the door and let police in; she was asked if there was anyone else in the flat, and said 'no'.

"But on entering the bedroom it was apparent that another person was hiding there, and the complainer was found crouching inside."

Explaining the circumstances of the breach, Mr Adair said: "The complainer in this case telephoned my office on the morning of Miss McIlroy's initial court appearance. He said he had attended uninvited at her house.

"He told me he had left belongings at her house and had gone back to collect them after their relationship ended.

"He said he was persistent about getting in; she let him in, but they argued, and a neighbour heard shouting and called police.

"He told me he had hidden from police because he didn't want to get Miss McIlroy into trouble."

Sheriff John Hamilton said he thought that story "unlikely", but Mr Adair said it was "incredulous" to think that McIlroy and her ex had "concocted a story that is almost exactly mirrored by the Crown's summary of evidence".

The court was told was told that McIlroy had been assessed as unsuitable for a 'drug treatment and testing order' (DTTO) sentence – a tough regime of monitoring and testing to keep addicts off drugs.

Mr Adair said his client's life had "gone off the rails" after a six-year spell in which she was off drugs.

He suggested that the court could impose a community payback order (CPO) instead – with a conduct requirement specifying that McIlroy must attend addiction treatment whenever told to do so by a social worker.

Imposing a CPO as a direct alternative to prison, Sheriff Hamilton told McIlroy: "I am – just – persuaded to give you a chance to try and address your drug problem, but I'm not optimistic.

"I think, as the DTTO team thought, that I may be setting you up to fail."

McIlroy will be supervised by a social worker for 12 months under the CPO, with a conduct requirement in the terms suggested by Mr Adair.

She will have to come back to court on February 28 for a review.

But the sheriff added: "If it is established that you have failed to comply with any requirement of the order, given your record, that will almost inevitably mean custody."