In the truth is stranger than fiction category, a Canadian man attempted to kill his ex-fiance via allergy. The crime occurred near Toronto, Ontario. A Burlington man allegedly smeared peanut oil on the door handle of a car that he knew his former fiance would touch.

The police force in Halton, Ontario said that the woman cleaned off the oil and washed her hands, but later began to feel sick. Apparently, she has a severe enough allergy that even contact with peanut oil was sufficient to trigger a reaction.

The woman took herself to a medical clinic where she was treated. Fortunately, she suffered no lasting effect.

The slighted gent has been charged with administering a noxious substance, as well as harassment. (Unfortunately, the criminal code doesn’t yet know how to treat a case of attempted murder by allergen.)

This isn’t the first time that someone has tried to use a severe allergy to kill off their significant other. In 2006, a UK man tried to eliminate his ex-wife by allergic reaction. She was known to suffer from anaphylaxis if exposed to latex. He broke into her home and forced a latex-clad hand into her mouth, while telling her “You will be dead in four minutes”. She was lucky that her domestic partner was in the house and helped her get away.

That case went to trial: Mr Charles Henson was found guilty of attempted murder of his ex-wife.

Then, there are the assaults that are just plain stupid. In 2008, a student a Wenatchee High School smeared peanut butter on the forehead of another student with a severe peanut allergy. There had been a discussion about the allergy during the lunch. Fortunately, for some allergic people, touching the allergen is not enough to create a reaction - they actually have to eat it. The victim in this case did not want to pursue charges.

Sources: WenatcheeWorld.com, BBCNews.com, PoliceOracle.com and TheStar.com