A man found to be four times over the legal limit has been acquitted of drink driving after a Belgian court found he hadn’t actually been drinking.

The unfortunate guy was stopped by cops three times for drink driving, insisting on each occasion he hadn’t been drinking – despite recording alcohol measurements of 2.09mg, over four times the legal limit in Belgium of 0.5mg.

Luckily for him, he’s now proven he was telling the truth.

Confused? Let us explain.

The market square in Bruges, where the man works. (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What is auto brewery syndrome (ABS)?

As per Healthline, auto brewery syndrome (ABS) is ‘a rare condition in which your body turns sugary and starchy foods into alcohol’.

Also known as gut fermentation syndrome and endogenous ethanol fermentation, ABS is a condition that makes you drunk without actually drinking alcohol.

So how exactly does this happen?

Well, your body turns sugary and starchy foods (carbohydrates) into alcohol, though the ABS diagnosis is certainly hard to come by.

On top of a more difficult diagnosis, ABS can also be mistaken for other conditions.

Showing how rare it really is, only a few cases of auto brewery syndrome have been reported in the last few decades.

And it appears the medical condition has only really appeared in recent years because of people being arrested for drinking and driving.

How doctors helped clear a man of drink driving

A Belgian man was cleared of drinking driving after doctors confirmed he has ABS.

Lawyer Anse Ghesquiere said on Monday (22 April) that in ‘another unfortunate coincidence’ her client worked at a brewery.

The unnamed man was first convicted of drinking driving in 2019, and was not aware of his condition at the time.

The man was arrested for alleged drinking driving. (Getty Stock Photo)

According to local media, he was confused because he had not been drinking.

He was pulled over once more in April 2022, and then once more a month later.

Both times he was found to be over the country’s drink-drive limit.

Local media have reported that the first stop took place around 4pm and the man told police that he had two beers the previous day.

Obviously stumped as to how he could be over the limit, the man had himself examined by doctors.

They independently confirmed he suffered from ABS.

The diagnosis came after the man was fed sugary food for 24 hours and without drinking a drop of alcohol, his body ‘massively converted the carbohydrates into alcohol’.

Another medical professional appointed by the police court in Bruges came to the same conclusion.

The judge emphasised that the defendant did not experience symptoms of intoxication, according to Belgium media.

The man has since been cleared of any wrongdoing, while the judge did not order a driving ban based on his condition.

Instead, the judge ruled that the man must take measures such as a dietary change, or use an alcolock, which stops someone driving if they’re over the limit.

If he doesn’t make these changes, his next drink driving conviction will stand.