Malcolm Palmer stabbed the mother of his three children and partner of 30 years after having to sleep on the sofa so she could play Grand Theft Auto on a plasma TV in their bedroom.
That, and the 62-year-old Palmer, who is a retired Heathrow airport employee, had become convinced his 46-year-old partner Carol Cannom was having an affair.
The two had purchased a PlayStation (doesn't specify which one — ditto for GTA) for their 10-year-old son, but Cannom apparently started regular gaming marathons. According to prosecutor John Pini QC, "Carol quickly became hooked. He was very unhappy about the amount of time she was playing on the PlayStation."
He wielded two knives during the attack, stabbing her in the chest 20 times. Their son James called the authorities, and Palmer snatched the phone, saying, "I'm sorry. I think I've killed her."
Defence lawyer Timothy Spencer QC stated to the court, "The genesis of this tragedy bizarrely lies with the purchase of the PlayStation."
No, the genesis did not lie in the purchase of the PlayStation — otherwise, we'd have millions of PlayStation domestic murders. More relevant to the motive, Palmer went berserk last November when Cannom threatened to move out, telling him he'd never see his children again.
Father killed partner who became hooked on Sony PlayStation [Telegraph via OneLastContinue]