This is another example of a crime in which gaming is once again linked, involving the notorious GTA no less. This time, however, the GTA player is the victim. Malcolm Palmer had been together with Carol Cannom for 30 years, a relationship that brought them three children and a Sony PlayStation.

All was cool, until she got hooked on Grand Theft Auto and threw him out of the bedroom so that she could play all night and until morning. Palmer later attacked her with two knives, killing her with 20 separate wounds to the upper chest.

"The genesis of this tragedy bizarrely lies with the purchase of the PlayStation," Defense Lawyer Timothy Spencer told the court. The couple got the PlayStation for their ten year old, James, who would play until late at night, after which his mom would take over and play, "regularly staying up until five or six in the morning," Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Palmer had been forced to sleep on a sofa at their place in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, while Cannom stayed up all night, playing GTA on a 37-inch plasma, which she brought into the bedroom for her gaming sessions. "Carol quickly became hooked. He was very unhappy about the amount of time she was playing on the PlayStation," said John Pini QC for the prosecution.

Palmer had also become convinced that she was having an affair, and went into a violent rage when she told him she wanted him to move out in November last year, threatening that he would never get to see their children again. One night, he did the unthinkable, killed his partner of 30 years, within earshot of their son, James, who called the police.

Palmer owns up to the murder, and will be sentenced on Wednesday.

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Other crimes linked to gaming:

• Video games eyed on German school shooting, reps call for heavier restrictions on violent video games
• 16 year old shoots parents, kills mom, for taking away his Halo 3