A MOTORIST told police in Chester that he could not provide a roadside breath test because he had a fish allergy, a court heard.

Alper Aslan, 43, who works as a jeweller, was pulled over at around 4.50am on December 22 last year after officers spotted him driving erratically in the city.

The father-of-three refused to be tested for alcohol, which is an offence, and was arrested and taken to the custody suite in Blacon.

There he again refused the test and was asked whether there were any medical reasons for this.

“He said he had a fish allergy,” prosecutor Kerry Pepperell told magistrates in Chester. “As Your Worships know, this is no reason to refuse a breath test.”

Aslan pleaded guilty to the offence of failing to provide a specimen for analysis and was handed a 12-month community order to include 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Barrister Nicholas Sefton, defending, said Aslan lost his father to suicide a number of years ago and had been helping a friend deal with a son who was struggling with depression.

Tragically, the friend’s son took his own life last month which had a “huge impact” on the defendant, who made the decision to get drunk in Chester on December 21.

He lost his jacket, which contained his wallet and phone, so could not call anyone for help or get a taxi. However, he did have his car keys and decided to sleep in the vehicle overnight.

“At 4.45am he woke up cold and alone and made the foolish decision to drive,” Mr Sefton told the court.

When stopped he refused to take the breath test as he was anxious and panicked.

Mr Sefton stressed Aslan was a married family man of previous good character with three children and a baby on the way.

He runs a jewellery business in Chester and regularly helps charity shops with the pricing and cleaning of donated valuables.

“He is extremely remorseful for the impact this offence has had on those close to him, namely his family and his employees,” the barrister said.

“He fully accepts he only has himself to blame for finding himself in this position. He has to come to terms with the embarrassment he has caused to his family.”

Besides his community order, Aslan, of Biddleston Cross, Widnes, must also pay £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of the same amount.