A man accused of committing murder has gone on trial in the UK. One of the motivations suggested by the killer was, according to prosecutors, a “bizarre fantasy” of being Agent 47, the protagonist of the Hitman series.
Everyone has heard at least once the opinion that video games amplify aggression. It’s a stereotype, of course, but tragedies like the one that took place in the UK last year firmly perpetuate it.
Local justice tried Eugen Coman, a 34-year-old Oxfordshire resident, charged with the murder of his roommate., a Russian named Leonid Laboshin. The incident happened in October last year.
The weirdest thing, however, are the potential motives for the crime. Prosecutors say Coman may have been driven by “old-fashioned jealousy” after the victim took a walk with a roommate he was interested in, or… fascination with the fictional game character known as Agent 47 (via Oxford Post).
Why believe that the man was inspired by Hitman? Information provided by forensic experts shows that the accused, before committing the murder, searched online for articles about the ruthless killer. And furthermore, At the time of his arrest, the 34-year-old man had a shaved head and was wearing a black suit, white shirt and tie.. Hitman fans and others are well aware that such an outfit is the hallmark of the famous character.
Coman eventually confessed to killing his roommate, but as he claims, he was not in his right mind at the time. Interestingly, this was not the man’s first act of aggression. Previously, he assaulted the landlord of the house when he asked him to pay late rent.