Teenager angry, poisons uncle’s soup because he snores too much

A high school student in Japan has been arrested for allegedly poisoning his uncle’s soup in an attempt to kill him because he couldn’t stand his snoring, the country’s media reported.

The 18-year-old teenager from Ichibara, Japan’s Chiba prefecture, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly mincing leaves from a toxic oleander plant and pouring them into his uncle’s soup, because he had become exasperated by his loud snoring.

According to the police report, on August 17, during lunch, the teen’s uncle sensed an unusual taste in the soup he was served and spat it out, but soon started exhibiting symptoms like mouth numbness and stomach pain, which required medical attention.

Samples from his bowl of soup were found to contain a lethal amount of the toxic substance known as oleandrin.

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“I couldn’t stand my uncle’s loud snoring and decided to kill him,” the 18-year-old teenager allegedly told police during questioning.

Oleander is an evergreen tree that blooms with red or white flowers and is commonly planted as a street or park tree. Its branches and leaves are toxic.

Luckily, the teen’s uncle, a 53-year-old self-employed man who lived with the boy and his mother, made a full recovery.