A Belgian man with an extremely rare metabolic condition that causes his body to produce alcohol had a drink-driving charge against him dismissed in court on Monday. The 40-year-old was able to prove that he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a condition that causes carbohydrates in his stomach to be fermented, increasing ethanol levels in his blood and giving signs of intoxication.
His lawyer, Anse Ghesquiere, confirmed the unusual case to AFP after it was reported by Belgian media. She emphasized that scientists believe the number of ABS cases in the world is underestimated and that only around 20 people globally have been officially diagnosed with the condition.
The man had been pulled over by police in April 2022 after registering breathalyzer readings of 0.91 milligrammes of alcohol per litre and then 0.71 milligrammes a month later. Despite protesting that he had not consumed any alcohol, he had previously received a fine and a driving licence suspension in 2019 due to his condition.
Ghesquiere stated that her client provided evidence of his ABS through tests run by three doctors, which led the court to acknowledge factors unforeseen by law in his case and acquit him of the charge. However, despite this victory, Ghesquiere mentioned they were awaiting formal notification of the acquittal and that the prosecution service had one month to appeal if they chose to do so at her initial court appearance, she requested that he abstain from consuming any alcoholic beverages.
