FORMER heroin addict Gillian Green, who told a court she had managed to detox herself and had not taken drugs for three months, was given a rare chance by magistrates to prove herself and escape a prison sentence for drug possession.

Ms Green, of Little Englands, Chippenham, appeared before North Wiltshire Magistrates sitting at Chippenham on Monday for sentencing, after pleading guilty and being convicted of possession of the class A drug on February 16.

But magistrates, on the recommendation of Ms Green's solicitor Michael Wills, and after reading several reports about her history, decided to give her six months to prove she could stay off the drug.

The 36-year-old said she had been opiate-free for several months.

"I did it myself, I went cold turkey. It was difficult but I did it," she said.

Mr Wills said: "She is the first to admit she is, or was, a drug addict.

"She has been using these pernicious substances but she says she has been clean for several months and I have no reason to doubt her.

"She tells me she has got to the age where she has got to do something about it. She is fed up of having her home trashed by police looking for drugs."

He told the court how her home had been searched for drugs six times since she was found with 83 milligrammes of heroin on her person on November 18. Nothing had been recovered. Ms Green had also voluntarily enrolled herself on to a drug rehabilitation programme to help her stay off drugs and alcohol.

Mr Wills asked the court to consider a community service order rather than a custodial sentence, which is often the case concerning possession of a class A drug. He further asked them to adjourn sentencing to give Ms Green the opportunity to prove herself.

Chairman of magistrates Graham Hogger said: "This is something we rarely do but we want you to come back and show us you can stay off the drugs and keep out of trouble."

After hearing the decision to adjourn her sentencing for six months, Ms Green told the magistrates: "I won't let you down."

Mr Wills said: "This is the chance Gillian Green has been waiting for."

Outside the court he added: "I have every faith in her."