Belgian whose body brews alcohol beats drink-driving rap
A BELGIAN man with a very rare metabolic condition that causes his body to produce alcohol had a drink-driving charge against him dismissed in court on Monday (Apr 22).
The 40-year-old proved that he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), which causes carbohydrates in his stomach to be fermented, increasing ethanol levels in his blood and resulting in signs of intoxication.
His lawyer, Anse Ghesquiere, confirmed the unusual case to AFP after Belgian media reported on it.
She said scientists believe that the number of ABS cases in the world is under-estimated. Currently, only some 20 people globally have been officially diagnosed with the condition.
She stressed that her client – whose identity was not given – gave evidence of his ABS after tests run by three doctors.
The court recognised that factors unforeseen by law applied to the man’s case and acquitted him of the charge.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
He ended up in court after police in April 2022 pulled his vehicle over and registered him giving a breathalyser reading of 0.91 milligram of alcohol per litre, and again a month later when his breath contained 0.71 milligram.
The legal limit in Belgium is 0.22 milligram per litre of air exhaled, which corresponds to a blood alcohol level of 0.5 gram per litre.
Previously, in 2019, the man had received a fine and a driving licence suspension despite protesting that he had not drunk any alcohol.
He was apparently unaware of his syndrome before his latest run-in with police.
Ghesquiere said she and her client were awaiting formal notification of the acquittal. She noted that the prosecution service had a month to lodge an appeal if it wished to do so.
The man meanwhile was following a carbohydrate-light diet to avoid his stomach producing more alcohol.
At his initial court appearance in March, the prosecutor requested he avoids any alcoholic beverages, the Belgian state television channel VRT reported. AFP
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Lifestyle
Former Zouk morphs into mod-Asian Jiak Kim House, serving laksa pasta and mushroom bak kut teh
Massimo Bottura lends star power to pizza and pasta at Torno Subito
Victor Liong pairs Aussie and Asian food with mixed results at Artyzen’s Quenino restaurant
If Jay Chou likes Ju Xing’s zi char, you might too
Mod-Sin cooking izakaya style at Focal
What the fish? Diving for flavour at Fysh – Aussie chef Josh Niland’s Singapore debut