Acquitted after drunk driving... Because his own body produced alcohol
Belga suffers from auto-brewery syndrome, a rare condition that causes his body to produce alcohol.
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Mundo Bélgica
A man caught drink driving has been acquitted in Belgium after a court heard he has a rare condition which causes his body to produce alcohol.
The unnamed defendant, who works in a brewery, was found to be over the limit but three separate medical examinations confirmed he has auto-brewery syndrome, a condition which sees excess yeast in the gut convert carbohydrates into alcohol.
According to Belgian media, the judge in the case stressed in his verdict that the defendant showed no outward signs of intoxication.
The police court in Bruges which acquitted the man declined to comment further when contacted by Reuters.
Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist at Belgium's AZ Sint-Lucas hospital, said people with the condition produce the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks but often feel its effects less. She added that people are not usually born with auto-brewery syndrome but can develop it as a complication of other gut-related illnesses.
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