A Teesside general practitioner who was "heavily intoxicated" according to police, has been convicted of failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis.
The trial of Dr Michael Brendan Farrell took place at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 14th May 2019, but we have only just become aware of the final outcome.
Dr Farrell, 46, of Sun Gardens, Thornaby was stopped by police in Ingleby Barwick in the early hours of Sunday, 6th January 2019. The officer had reason to suspect Dr Farrell of being under the influence of alcohol and required him to provide a roadside specimen of breath.
The result of that test indicated that Dr Farrell was almost four times the drink drive limit, but the reading could not be used as the basis of charge.
Dr Farrell was arrested and taken to Middlesbrough police station, where he was asked to provide an evidential specimen of breath. Unfortunately the evidential breathalyser malfunctioned, so he was asked to provide a specimen of blood as an alternative. He refused to do so.
At an earlier hearing Dr Farrell indicated that the basis of his not guilty plea was a phobia of needles, which prevented him from providing a specimen of blood for analysis.
At the trial hearing, however, Dr Farrell claimed that he had refused to provide the specimen because he thought the arresting officer, PC Morris, had misled the nurse on a point of procedure.
District Judge Tim Capstick wasn't convinced, saying: "I reject the defendant's account, in that it's inconsistent with that of the other witnesses.
"It is clear he was under the influence of alcohol.
"And I reject his assertion that he asked for a urine test. I reject the claim he raised a medical reason that he had a problem with needles.
"There was no reasonable excuse to refuse the test."
The Judge sentenced Dr Farrell to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work, pay £620 towards prosecution costs and £115 victim surcharge.
Dr Farrell was disqualified from driving for 42 months, but the Judge offered him the chance to complete a drink driver rehabilitation course to reduce the disqualification period by 42 weeks.
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