The defendant, Michael Aranovsky, was charged with driving with excess alcohol ("Over 80").
He argued involuntary intoxication, claiming he unknowingly consumed vodka-spiked watermelon as part of a prank by a friend.
The Crown contended the defence was implausible.
The court, applying principles of involuntary intoxication and the W.D. formula for credibility, found the defendant's evidence credible and sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt regarding his knowledge of the quantity of alcohol consumed.
The court emphasized that common sense inferences about taste or effects of alcohol cannot be drawn without expert evidence in such cases.
The defendant was acquitted.