Police allege Tarryn Stratton’s Mitsubishi Lancer coupe was fixed with number plates stolen from a Brunswick West address.

The mother-of-three told police the Lancer belonged to her, it was unregistered and she believed her friend fixed the plates to it.

After Stratton was placed in a cell at the Ballarat Police Station police found green vegetable matter, possibly cannabis, in her handbag.

She was granted bail at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday after she showed exceptional circumstances, which is a high threshold to meet.

Police opposed bail, saying the accused was on bail when she was arrested, she was on a community corrections order and she was an unacceptable risk of failing to answer bail.

But defence lawyer David Tamanika told the court there were bail conditions to alleviate the risks, including a curfew, static address and daily reporting.

Magistrate Alan Spillane said exceptional circumstances had been shown because Stratton had a stable address, ties to the jurisdiction and she would unlikely be imprisoned for the offences.

“(It’s) highly unlikely to be imprisoned for these offences. It will almost certainly end up being a plea of guilty,” Mr Spillane said.

Stratton, who faces charges including number plate theft and committing an indictable offence while on bail, will return to court on March 7.

She was released on bail with strict conditions including a curfew, to live at her Delacombe address and report to police every day.

Stratton cried when she was granted bail and continuously yawned during the bail application hearing.