A Belgian man has been acquitted of drink-driving because he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), an extremely rare condition in which the body produces alcohol, his lawyer said.
Anse Ghesquiere said on Monday that by “yet another unfortunate coincidence” her client was working at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him had confirmed he had ABS.
Belgian media said the judge emphasized in the verdict that the suspect, who was not named in accordance with local judicial custom, did not experience any symptoms of intoxication.
The Bruges police court, which acquitted the man, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist at the Belgian hospital AZ Sint-Lucas, said people with ABS produced the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, but generally felt less of its effects.
People are not born with ABS, but can develop it if they already have another gut-related condition. Patients may exhibit symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication, such as slurred speech, stumbling, loss of motor function, dizziness, and belching.