A Belgian driver who received two fines from the police for driving while intoxicated has had these penalties annulled by the court. The 40-year-old man from Bruges succeeded with the objection that the alcohol did not get into his blood by drinking beer or spirits, but that it was produced by his body. The court recognized that he suffers from a rare disorder with which he can drive.
According to BFMTV, the man was in court over two drink-driving fines in the past two years. He most significantly exceeded the permitted limit, which in Belgium is half a gram per liter of blood, the year before last April, when he had almost four times more. This is equivalent to drinking about five beers. A month later, the police tested him with three times the legal limit.
According to his lawyer, Anse Ghesquiere, several doctors have independently confirmed that he suffers from a rare disorder called Own Brewery Syndrome (ABS), which has so far only been shown to occur in a few people in the world. The affected person’s body produces alcohol on its own, especially when consuming foods with a high carbohydrate content such as bread, potatoes or legumes.
The court recognized that the man had alcohol in his blood as a result of “force majeure” and acquitted him. “We are happy with the verdict, but it is not yet final,” Ghesquiere said, according to AFP, adding that the prosecutor’s office has 30 days to appeal.
According to the defense attorney, the man now adheres to a nutritional regime in which he tries to prevent the consumption of foods that stimulate alcohol production. The prosecutor’s office advised him to also avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. The defense attorney pointed out that her client, by an unfortunate coincidence, works in a brewery.
