By CHRIS DANIELS
Police have begun an inquiry into the handling of the case of a 69-year-old teetotaller who failed two drink-driving breath tests.
Pauline Wong was stopped in Ponsonby on Saturday night.
The police officer said Mrs Wong had an honest face and let her go without demanding an evidential blood or breath test.
Inspector John Kelly, of traffic operations at the Police Commissioner's office in Wellington, said the issue was being investigated because the public had heard only one side.
But Mrs Wong is not the first non-drinking person to have returned positive breath tests for alcohol.
Waiuku woman Shelley Meyer read about Mrs Wong in the Herald and was reminded of being stopped near Glenbrook five years ago.
She, like Mrs Wong, was driving with young children and says she had not been drinking. She returned three positive breath-screening tests, blowing into a police device. "It was pretty scary stuff, I can tell you."
Mrs Meyer had been eating grapes during the day, and wonders whether this would have triggered the device.
As with Mrs Wong, the officer did not ask for further tests.
Lawyers and police were surprised yesterday that Mrs Wong was not asked for an evidential alcohol test that could be used in court.
Auckland drink-drive law specialist Chris Reid said that although some discretion was given to officers, decisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal made it clear that police should go on to the next step.
"What the cop did, if that's the truth, is quite beyond the pale."
Mr Reid, Auckland forensic scientist Rory Shanahan - who has been involved in thousands of drink-driving cases - and ESR forensic scientist Dr Alan Stowell were all sceptical of "auto-brewery syndrome" claims that bodily functions could produce alcohol in the body.
Police to probe teetotaller case
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