He was acquitted of all charges against him 40 year old Belgianwho had been referred to her court Bruges because he was caught driving “drunk”on a recurring basis.
Ultimately, he proved himself to be suffering from intestinal fermentation syndrome (ABS), an extremely rare disease in which the body produces alcohol.
By…unfortunate coincidence, as Anne Ghesquière’s lawyer described it, her client works in brewery. In fact, three doctors who examined him, independently of each other, confirmed the diagnosis.
The judge noted in his ruling that the defendant, who was not named as a drug addict by Belgian courts, showed no signs of intoxication. Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist at the AZ Sind-Lucas Hospital in Belgium, explained that people with ABS produce the same type of alcohol as that found in alcoholic beverages, but generally don’t feel the effects as much. People are not born with this disease, but some people who already have another gastrointestinal disease develop it.
Alcohol is usually produced when people consume foods high in carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes or carrots. According to the lawyer, scientists believe that the condition is underdiagnosed since only 20 confirmed cases have been recorded worldwide to date.
Gasquier’s client was “caught” by police officers in April 2022 driving “drunk”, as his blood alcohol level reached 0.91mg/l. A month later, he was again arrested for having exceeded the legal limit of alcohol consumption, with 0.71mg/l. In 2019 he was fined and had his driving license revoked for the same reasons. He always declared his innocence, that he did not drink alcohol and was unaware that he suffered from this rare syndrome.
Now, the man follows a low-carbohydrate diet.
Source: APE – MEB
Tags: Drunken Belgian driver acquitted Breathalyzers caught body .. produces alcohol due rare disease
