In news of the bizarre, a US citizen accused of robbing an 81 year old woman at knifepoint outside a casino claims that he was sleepwalking at the time and has no recollection of the event.

Winston A Riley’s attorney has entered a “medical defence” claim for his client and stated that he told the judge and prosecutor that a 27 old, married man with no criminal record would not wake up one morning, drive across the state and decide to rob a woman at a casino that has full security as well as cameras. According to the man’s attorney Nicholas D’Amato, anyone that thinks about it rationally will see that it doesn’t make sense.

Riley was arrested after an elderly woman accused him of pulling a knife on her and demanding that she hand over her purse while in the elevator of the Mohegan Sun Casino in New London.

Riley claims that he was sleepwalking at the time of the incident and was suddenly “awakened” when the woman fled from the Elevator. According to Riley’s family, he has had issues with sleepwalking since he was a child but whether or not this will hold up in court is another story altogether.

His defence seems positive and admits that while it is the first time they have encountered such a case, it is a legitimate medical condition. The arresting police department on the other hand are not so convinced claiming that Riley confessed to the crime shortly after his arrest and stated that he just wanted money. This claim is of course being contested. Interestingly though, the police report filed after the incident notes that Riley was unable to recall why he had attempted to rob the woman and said he became scared and ran after she resisted him.

The case is still on-going at present, but this is just story that goes to show that online casinos are so much safer than land based ones which are evidently home to even sleep walking criminals.