A DEEP sea fisherman from the West Wight who deliberately failed EIGHT attempts at a drink-drive breath test, got into hot water when he appeared before an Isle of Wight court.

Jesse Green, of Newport Road, Freshwater, admitted failing to provide a drink-drive specimen at Newport Police Station, on March 26, when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

A member of the public called the police after seeing Green drive his black Mitsubishi pick-up from Newport, towards Ryde — swerving across the road and in the middle of it, without his lights on.

In Queens Road, Ryde, police stopped Green — who had continued driving without his lights on.

At the roadside, Green, 27, provided a positive breath test and was arrested.

At Newport Police Station, Green was carefully taken through the breath-alcohol procedure on an intoximeter, but made eight unsuccessful attempts to provide a sample by blowing in a particular way to cause the machine to reject the sample, explained Liz Miller, prosecuting.

After being told he was being charged with his failure to provide a breath-alcohol sample, Green replied: "That's fine by me."

"It was a deliberate refusal and failure and, as an aggravating feature, his standard of driving was unacceptable," Miss Miller told the bench.

For Green, Oscar Vincent said his client, a fisherman who operates from the Netherlands, and around the Danish and German coasts, was on the Island and had been out with friends.

"He admits he drove with excess alcohol and, when stopped by the police, he was initially co-operative," said Mr Vincent.

"When he was at the police station, he genuinely had problems using the intoximeter, but states had he been given the opportunity to provide a blood or urine sample, he would've done co-operated fully."

After initially ordering a report for Green, indicating he may be handed probation — and not ruling out custody — magistrates brought him back into court after being told that because he worked abroad, such a punishment was unworkable.

Magistrates instead fined Green £461, with a £184 surcharge and £85 costs, coupled with a 30-month driving ban.