Starting from this February, we are roughly 10 months away from the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI (assuming no further delays). It has been 13 years since GTA V debuted back in 2013 without a single sequel, so it’s no surprise that the gaming community is buzzing with anticipation.
In this context, having your life flipped upside down by a prison sentence would be the ultimate nightmare—not just for the obvious reasons, but because you'd miss the chance to play GTA VI on day one. Even worse is the prospect of life imprisonment, as seen in the case of Robert Richens, a 35-year-old man who murdered his girlfriend. His actions have secured him a life behind bars, ensuring he'll never get his hands on the game he reportedly regrets missing. Let’s dive into the details of this story
The story gained traction after the X account 'GTA 6 Countdown' (verified with a blue checkmark) posted a video of a distraught man with the caption: 'A British man was arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, and his primary concern was missing out on GTA 6. Since he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years, he’ll likely be getting out right around the time GTA 7 releases.'
The man in question is Robert Richens, 35, who was arrested for the murder of his ex-partner. Richens himself called the police to confess to the crime. In the clip, he can be heard saying, 'I’m going to miss GTA so much.' The arresting officer, clearly not a gamer, asked which GTA he was referring to. Richens replied, 'GTA 6,' before breaking down into tears
The events unfolded on December 12th, when Richens pleaded guilty to one count of murder at Oxford Crown Court. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and 1 month (subject to any future parole or sentence reductions).
During the arrest, the officers tried to reassure Richens that he still had plenty of time before GTA 6 was even released—likely an attempt to calm him down. However, it didn't help in the slightest. Richens snapped back, 'I’m going to prison for life. I should have just run instead of calling the police.' And there it is. In the end, it wasn’t the guilt of murdering his girlfriend that broke him—it was the devastating realization that he’d be trading his controller for a prison cell right before the biggest game launch of the decade
Instead of gaining sympathy from the gaming community for missing out on GTA 6 for at least 16 years, Richens has found himself the target of widespread ridicule. His comments in the video shifted the public's mood from curiosity to contempt. Rather than showing genuine remorse for his heinous crime, his only regret was his inability to play a video game.
If the court caught wind of this attitude, any hope for leniency would likely vanish. In the UK, life sentences are far more rigid than in some other countries—there is no royal pardon to cut his time short. He is looking at a very real possibility of spending his final days behind bars. At the end of the day, he has to face the consequences of his actions. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
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