"You are fucking terrifying, a menace to society, therefore I sentence you to two years in prison and some counseling."
Julien Barreaux lost a knife fight in Counter-Strike and spent the next six months tracking down the stranger who beat him.
In late 2009, 20-year-old Julien Barreaux had his Counter-Strike character k*lled in a virtual knife fight by another player known only as Mikhael.
He spent the next six months tracking down Mikhael's real-world identity and location. He eventually discovered his nemesis living only a couple of miles away in Cambrai, a town in northern France.
Armed with a kitchen knife, Barreaux knocked on Mikhael's door. When it opened, he plunged the knife into his chest.
The blade missed Mikhael's heart by less than an inch. Barreaux was arrested within the hour.
A police officer told the court: "Barreaux told us he had wanted to see his rival wiped out for killing off his character."
Mikhael survived. Barreaux was convicted of grievous bodily harm and sentenced to two years in prison plus mandatory anger management.
The judge told him: "You are a menace to society. I am frankly terrified of the disproportionate reaction you could have if someone looked at you the wrong way in the street."