Held breath when asked to give an '¨evidential sample

When he was asked to provide a breath sample after he had been arrested on suspicion of drink driving police noticed that a Lurgan man was holding his breath instead of blowing into the machine.

Gary Cranston (52), whose address was given as Thornhill Park, Lurgan, admitted failing to provide a specimen when he appeared last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

He was fined £200, ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy and banned from driving for 18 months.

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The court heard that on April 4 this police stopped the defendant while he was driving in Regents Park, Lurgan.

His speech was slurred and he admitted he had been drinking.

He failed to supply a breath sample for a preliminary test with police noticing that he was simply holding his breath and not blowing into the machine.

Cranston was arrested and at the custody suite during the evidential test again he was holding his breath.

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A solicitor representing the defendant said he suffers from a respiratory issue and that he had a limited record with one matter which was some years ago.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said that because the defendant failed to provide a sample he had no idea how much alcohol was consumed.