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Quick-thinking online Xbox gamers called 999 when armed robber burst into Aberdeen man’s home

Neil Wilson
Neil Wilson appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

A man being robbed at knifepoint by his drug addict neighbour managed to alert online gamers to his terrifying predicament by unmuting his Xbox headset.

Neil Wilson had no idea the quick-thinking players had called the police moments after he held his neighbour up at knifepoint.

The victim unmuted his headset and shouted “who are you?” and “why have you got a knife?” so that his online friends would know something was amiss.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Wilson, 35, initially knocked on a door in Glenbervie Road to ask for cigarette at around 8pm on October 17, last year.

But he returned half an hour later, this time armed with a knife.

Glenbervie Road in Torry.

Fiscal depute Alison Reid said Wilson told a friend “I’m away to rob someone to make money for more crack” before returning to his neighbour a few doors down and pulling out a knife.

When Wilson’s victim repeatedly insisted he didn’t have any money and tried to push the armed man out of the flat a “scuffle” ensued and Wilson struck the man on the face and “continued to present the knife at him”.

It was then that the man, armed only with an Xbox headset, was able to fight back.

“He was still holding his Xbox controller,” the court heard.

“He unmuted this in the hope that his online friends might hear what was happening. One of his friends heard him shouting ‘who the f*** are you? Why are you in my house?’ and ‘why the f*** do you have a knife?’

“They could tell from the complainer’s voice that he was panicked so managed to report the incident to police.”

An Xbox controller headset. Supplied by Shutterstock

Wilson, meanwhile, struck a deal with his victim and agreed to put away the knife but not before demanding he hand over his bank card.

“He placed the knife into his waistband but continued to hold onto it. He took the bank card and demanded the pin, which the complainer provided out of fear,” the fiscal added.

Wilson being held behind bars

Before leaving, Wilson also grabbed the man’s mobile phone, telling him he would return it after he’d been to the bank.

Police traced Wilson later that evening and his victim, left with cuts to his nose and wrist, found his phone in a nearby food waste bin.

Wilson appeared from custody at HMP Grampian and admitted a charge of assault to injury and robbery.

Defence agent Mike Monro asked that sentencing be deferred to allow for a psychiatric report to be carried out on his client.

Sheriff Ian Wallace deferred sentencing until next month.

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