Delusional Grand Theft Auto V Player Calls Ambulance Over Imagined Shooting

A man who called 999 to report a shooting at his house was in a ‘confused’ state after playing Grand Theft Auto V, a court heard last week.

Back in November, 25-year old David Helens, after a marathon GTA session, called an ambulance to report the shooting of his friend ‘Max’. Helens, from the Tyne and Wear area of the UK, told the call handler that ‘Max’ was “slipping in and out of consciousness” after a gunshot wound to the chest, and that he thought his friend might be dead. It was only after two ambulances arrived at Helens’ property that paramedics discovered that there had been no shooting, and that ‘Max’ didn’t exist.

Helens was arrested after admitting to playing GTA V shortly before he made the call. In court last week, prosecutor Christopher Rose said, “The call lasted for approximately 12 minutes.”

“The caller said he was at an address and that he was with another man called Max who had suffered a gunshot injury to his chest.”

“He said the man was slipping in an out of consciousness and bleeding badly.”

“An ambulance had to be dispatched and, once the call handler was told the man had stopped breathing, and that he might be dead, this information had to be treated as a possible cardiac arrest and a second ambulance was called.”

“The defendant then said he himself had been attacked by a third person and feigned screaming and shouting.”

“The call taker said that this caused her to be very concerned for his safety and that of ‘Max’.”

Defence counsel Laura Johnson implied that Helens was in an unstable state of mind at the time of making the call, saying, “He tells me that he has very little recollection of the phone call.”

“Mr Helens has significant health needs. He is deaf in his left ear, partially blind in his left eye and has speech problems.”

“He accepts that he caused disruption and upset to the call taker and he apologizes for his actions.”

Helens, after pleading guilty, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and a supervision order lasting 18 months.

Source: The Mirror