Long Sutton resident Malcom Palmer's marriage was going downhill fast, and he decided the best way to solve the problem was by stabbing his wife.

The 62-year-old husband and father killed his wife Carol Cannom, 46, due to marital problems that were exacerbated by a Grand Theft Auto addiction.  He was allegedly forced to sleep on the sofa as Cannom stayed up all night with the 37-inch plasma TV she hauled into their bedroom for nightly gaming sessions.

All it took to ruin this marriage of 30 years was an addiction to Grand Theft Auto, which began after the husband and wife purchased a PlayStation 3 for their 10-year-old son James.

"Carol quickly became hooked. He was very unhappy about the amount of time she was playing on the PlayStation," said John Pini for the prosecution.

Based on court testimonials heard on Monday, Palmer thought his wife was having an affair and went on a violent rampage after she told him she wanted to move out last November and threatened to take their three children.

That evening, he assaulted her with two knives, stabbing her 20 times in the upper chest.  Their son, James, called 999 when he overheard the incident, and Palmer grabbed the phone from him.  "I'm sorry, I think I've killed her," he told the emergency operator.

"The genesis of this tragedy bizarrely lies with the purchase of the PlayStation," claims defense attorney Timothy Spencer.