Tsunami stress ’inhibited breath test’
A FLINTSHIRE man pulled over on suspicion of drink driving could not give a breath test because of stress suffered during the 2004 tsunami disaster, a court was told.
But Prestatyn magistrates were unimpressed by Mark Rollings’ excuse and found him guilty of failing to provide a specimen of breath.
He was banned from driving for two years, fined £350 and ordered to pay costs totalling £215.
Rollings, 43, of Birch Croft, Mancot, now faces losing his job as a driver, but the court heard he planned to return to Thailand in October as he has entered a relationship with a Thai woman.
Rollings was stopped while driving through Rhuddlan on April 26, when police noticed him driving very slowly and swerving from side to side, causing vehicles to stop.
He told the officers he had had nothing to drink, but then admitted he had last had a drink an hour before.
He failed a roadside breath test and was taken to the custody suite in St Asaph, where, despite five attempts, he failed to give an acceptable specimen.
The Bench was shown a report by forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Nathan in which he said that Rollings, having been diagnosed by his GP as suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, would be vulnerable to anxiety and panic attacks which could affect his breathing.
Prosecutor Andrew Warman said the medical report was accepted, but Rollings had not mentioned his condition and the officers had not identified any symptoms.
He said the mere stress of being arrested was not enough reason to fail to give a sample.
Rollings said he was on a beach when the tsunami struck.
He said that when he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving one of the attacks came on, making it impossible for him to take a breath test.
“I was very upset by things I had seen and afterwards got flashbacks,” he said.
He claimed he had become increasingly nervous at the police station but did not realise until later he had been suffering a panic attack.
Tsunami stress ’inhibited breath test’ - Daily Post North Wales
