Belgian man whose body makes its own alcohol cleared of drunk-driving

Bruges court heard how defendant had condition called auto-brewery syndrome sometimes brought on by intestinal problems

A Belgian man has been acquitted of drunk-driving because he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), an extremely rare condition whereby the body produces alcohol, his lawyer has said.

Anse Ghesquiere said on Monday that in “another unfortunate coincidence” her client worked at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him had confirmed he had ABS.