Asthma stopped me giving a breath test, presenter claims

MARTIN ROBERTS, the presenter of Homes Under the Hammer, attempted to avoid a drink driving conviction by claiming his asthma stopped him from giving a breath sample.

The 56-year-old, who has failed to get his conviction overturned, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol last year, after failing to provide a breath test.

But Roberts insists this is because of his chronic asthma, and said that he tried several times to provide a sample.

He denied failing to provide a specimen of breath, but in March Bath magistrates’ court convicted him, fining him £3,461 and banning him from driving for 23 months.

Police accused him of sucking rather than blowing and, after only one successful test which showed him to be almost twice over the limit, they charged him with failing to provide a specimen of breath.

Roberts maintains the reading could have been contaminated.

He appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, where he failed to have the conviction and sentence overturned.

The recorder Mr Noel Casey dismissed the case, retained the sentence and imposed £520 costs.

Mr Casey told Roberts: “We accept the appellant suffers from asthma but not to an extent much greater than many other sufferers.”

Speaking outside the court, Roberts said: “This is a bad day for me. But it is also a terrible day for asthma sufferers.”

Sgt Andrew Mundy arrested Roberts on foot. He said: “I invited him to the police vehicle for a sample. He was slurring, speaking in a repetitive manner and you could smell alcohol.”