Variances in blood tests noted

Press, 23 October 1980, Page 8

Variances in blood tests noted

Marked fluctuations had been noted between evidential breath-alcohol readings and blood-alcohol readings, Judge Frampton said in the District Court at Rangiora yesterday. Judge Frampton said often where the evidential breath reading was high, it was found that if a blood speciman was taken from the same person, that the blood-alcohol reading was low. “Often it operates the other way round,” he said. Judge Frampton was sentencing Murray John Bate, aged 56, a freezing worker (Mr R. Williams), on a charge of driving with an excess breath alcohol level (850 microgrammes). He pleaded guilty. Judge Frampton said it was not a particularly serious case, but indications were that the defendant had consumed more than the one jug of beer that he had claimed to have drunk. Bate was fined $4OO and disqualified from driving for 12 months. Traffic Officer G. Meldau said that after a complaint, the defendant was stopped on Tram Road. He was spoken to and said he had had one jug of beer at Cust. An evidential breath test was taken. Bate also pleaded guilty

to a charge of careless use, for which he was fined .$5O. Officer Meldau said the defendant had collided with the rear of a car in High Street, Rangiora which had been turning left. Damage was minimal. Mr Williams said that Bate had had only one jug. When questioned by the Judge, Mr Williams said it depended on what food the defendant had had and his metabolism. He was not driving the car out of control. He had been stopped following a. complaint to the Ministry of Transport.