LOCAL retailers have dismissed claims that a violent computer game made a youth commit murder. Stefan Pakeerah, 14, was murdered by his friend, 17-year-old Warren Leblanc, using a claw hammer and knife.

The dead boy’s mother claimed that the 18-rated PlayStation2 game, Manhunt, was responsible.

Leblanc was said to be obsessed with the game, which contains graphic scenes of murder and violence.

Guernsey Computers games department manager Ian Brown disagreed that playing computer games could cause a person to commit murder.

‘I think it’s something of a cop out to try and find something to blame,’ he said.

‘People like to say: ﾓPoor boy, he was playing games and it twisted his mindﾔ.’

Big Byte manager Cheryl Meerveld said that the game was violent, but could not be blamed for the murder.

‘It is pretty nasty but it doesn’t turn you into a homicidal maniac,’ she said.

Both shops have a strict policy when it comes to selling adult-rated games.

‘We are careful when selling games to kids, but they get their parents in to buy them for them.’

Mr Brown said: ‘We keep a strict policy when it comes to age ratings. ‘If it is rated 18, then it doesn’t get sold to someone younger than that, but then a lot of youngsters get their parents to buy them.’

He said that Manhunt had been out of reach to anyone under the age of 18 when in stock at Guernsey Computers.

‘We didn’t put it on in the shop because of its rating,’ he said.

‘If someone under 18 came in, they could see it before we could do anything about it. If it is rated 18, it doesn’t get put on. We look at reviews so we can tell customers about it and if a member of staff has bought it, they can talk about it.’

As technology advances, games are getting more realistic. Mr Brown said that this was not a problem because of the age-rating system.

‘I think they’re getting more lifelike so it seems to be the more lifelike they are, the higher the rating,’ he said. ‘With a cartoon like Tom and Jerry, they’re hacking each other to pieces, but it couldn’t be classed as an 18. If you have two human characters doing the same, it would be an 18.’

* Some UK High Street stores yesterday withdrew the game as a mark of respect.