BRUSSELS – A Belgian man was on April 22 acquitted of drink driving because he suffers from auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a rare condition whereby the body produces alcohol, his lawyer said.

Lawyer Anse Ghesquiere told Reuters that in “another unfortunate coincidence”, her client works at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him confirmed he suffered from ABS.

The Belgian media said that in the verdict, the judge emphasised that the defendant, who was not named – in line with local judicial custom – did not experience symptoms of intoxication.

The Bruges police court, which acquitted the man, did not immediately reply to an e-mail from Reuters.

Clinical biologist Lisa Florin from Belgian hospital AZ Sint-Lucas explained that people with the condition produce the same type of alcohol as the one in alcoholic drinks, but that they generally feel less of its effects.

She added that people are not born with ABS but can get it when they already suffer from another intestine-related condition. REUTERS