A father of three, aged 46, has confessed to court officials that he assaulted a teenage boy after the boy eliminated his character in “Call of Duty: Black Ops.”
Mark Bradford, from Plymouth, England, lost his temper not only because his game character was killed but also because the 13-year-old who made the shot insulted him.
The two were engaged in online gameplay, communicating through microphones.
Bradford, aware of the boy’s address, went to his home and seized the boy by the throat with both hands, as reported by the boy’s mother, who intervened.
While the boy sustained some scratches, he was not physically harmed.
“It wasn’t malice. I just grabbed him. I’ve seen him since and apologized. The injuries weren’t that bad but I do regret it,” Bradford stated in court.
Defense attorney Tracey Baker emphasized that her client “just lost it” during the incident and clarified that the attack was unpremeditated.
Bradford has been released on bail and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at the end of October.
The boy’s mother remarked, “It’s pathetic that a grown man would attack a defenseless child like this. If you can’t handle losing to a child then you shouldn’t be playing games.”
