Man Accused of Vandalism Claims that he Was in Virtual Reality

James McMillan, 25, was sighted in central London yesterday morning, cricket bat in hand, attempting to break the windows of a new CyberTruck. Several videos of the incident have circulated online of McMillan screaming: “... This level sucks!” - as police arrived to apprehend him. McMillan has been described as a “VR junky” by his friends and colleagues. Sources suggest he was suffering from VR fatigue. He had called in sick at work on the day of the incident - a mixture of VR fatigue and other illnesses is expected to have caused his delirious state, and his inability to differentiate between the real world and VR. 

The arresting officer told reporters that McMillan continued to think he was in virtual reality well into the afternoon, and the young man only came to his senses after an intense session with a VR-trained specialist. This incident follows a number of cases of mistaken realities as ministers push to place a limit on VR usage. This news comes after the health secretary’s report on the rising physical and psychological damages of prolonged exposure to virtual worlds - the NHS is expected to re-train medical staff in VR-aid in an effort to cope with the rising number of incidents. 

After finally coming around to our reality, McMillan has announced that he is not planning to plead guilty or take any form of responsibility for the incident. He plans to use his testimony to leverage a claim against CyberTruck manufacturer to cover damages. He aims to sue for criminal negligence from “... a failure to keep their real cars distinct from their VR counterparts.” 

McMillan is not the first to criticize the uncanny likeness of VR to our own reality. Many have argued that officials should limit the lifelike rendering of virtual worlds in an effort to reduce  cases of mistaken realities. Critics suggest that, if VR was kept visually distinct from our own reality, it would be easier for people to differentiate, and would limit incidents like this.