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A MIDDLE-aged man carried out a real-life revenge attack on the teenager who killed his character in an online video game.

Mark Bradford, 46, saw red when the boy gloated after gunning him down while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops.

A court heard how Bradford stormed out of his bedsit and assaulted the 13-year-old who was playing the war game at a friend’s home nearby.

The pal’s mum had to come to the terrified boy’s rescue after Bradford marched into the front room and grabbed the boy’s throat with both hands.

The lad, who cannot be identified, said last night: “I was just sat playing. We’d had a bit of a joke and then he stormed in and grabbed me. I didn’t know what was going on.”

Jobless Bradford and the teenager had been playing the violent game on PlayStations and were talking to each other on microphones over the internet.

Plymouth magistrates heard that the dad-of-three walked away without saying a word after the attack in July. The victim was left with a scratch. His mum, 33, said last night: “It’s pathetic that a grown man would attack a defenceless child like this.

“If you can’t handle losing to a child then you shouldn’t be playing games.

“I know Mark and went straight round when I found out what had happened. I was fuming. But rather than have it out with him I got the police involved.”

Bradford, of St Budeaux, Plymouth, admitted assault and was freed on bail to be sentenced on October 24.

He said yesterday: “I’d been playing the whole day and he was baiting me and just would not shut up.

“I just lost it. In a moment of madness I went round to the house. I didn’t know what I was going to do.

“It wasn’t malice. I just grabbed him. I’ve seen him since and apologised. The injuries weren’t that bad but I do regret it.”