Violent games are again in the news after being linked to an incident on a warship.

A sailor was jailed for 25 years for murder on 19 September. The incident occurred aboard the nuclear submarine HMS Astute while it was docked at Southampton on 8 April, resulting in the death of an officer. Another officer was wounded and two others were targeted. Various newspapers have reported that the sailor was obsessed with Grand Theft Auto. At the trial at Winchester Crown Court, Nigel Lickey QC, prosecuting, said among other things that the sailor had, 'started talking about Grand Theft Auto'. Both the Metro and the Mirror carried the story on their front pages, while others including the Mail, the Guardian and the Sun also reported on the link with GTA.

The video gaming press's response to the link was, unsurprisingly, not in favour. Strategy Informer said the series had been 'typecast as the villain of the piece', while gamers went to newspapers' websites to accuse them of using the series as a scapegoat. It is the latest in a long line of controversies over violent games being linked to murders.

"He said he wanted to stage a ‘kill frenzy’ from computer game Grand Theft Auto.

Prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC told Winchester Crown Court: ‘The defendant just giggled and said he was thinking how to start a massacre.'"

HalfMillennium via dailymail.co.uk »