Raoul Moat, a 37-year-old former panel beater, bouncer, and tree surgeon from Newcastle upon Tyne, was released from Durham Prison on 1 July 2010 after serving an eighteen-week sentence for assaulting a nine-year-old relative. He had reportedly come to blame the police for the collapse of his business and for the end of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, who — out of fear — had told him that her new partner, Chris Brown, was a police officer.
In the early hours of 3 July 2010, Moat shot Brown and Stobbart at a house in Birtley, Tyne and Wear, where the couple were visiting. Brown, a 29-year-old karate instructor, was killed; Stobbart was shot in the arm and abdomen and underwent liver surgery. Roughly 22 hours later, on 4 July, Moat shot police constable David Rathband as he sat in his patrol vehicle near East Denton. Rathband survived but was permanently blinded.
Northumbria Police launched what became one of the largest manhunts in modern British policing history, deploying around 160 armed officers — reinforced by other forces — along with helicopters, dogs, armoured vehicles brought from Northern Ireland, a Royal Air Force reconnaissance jet, and tracker Ray Mears. On 5 July, police disclosed that Durham Prison had warned them, before the shootings, that Moat intended to harm Stobbart, and Northumbria Police voluntarily referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Following a sighting during an armed robbery in Seaton Delaval, police concentrated the search around Rothbury, Northumberland, from 6 July, setting up an exclusion zone and placing armed officers at local schools.
Two men later identified as Karl Ness and Qhuram Awan were arrested in Rothbury on 6 July and appeared in court on 8 July charged with conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm with intent. On 9 July, police located Moat on the north bank of the River Coquet in Rothbury and a stand-off began. After nearly six hours of negotiation, during which officers fired an experimental long-range Taser at him, Moat shot himself; he was taken to Newcastle General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the early hours of 10 July 2010, ending the manhunt.
A coroner's inquest concluded in September 2011 that Moat's death was suicide, and the IPCC cleared Northumbria Police of wrongdoing over its use of the Taser; in 2014, the force disputed separate IPCC findings that it had failed to act on intelligence about Moat or adequately support the injured Rathband. Ness was convicted of the murder of Christopher Brown, conspiracy to murder, and the attempted murder of PC Rathband, and was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 40 years. Awan was convicted of conspiracy to murder and the attempted murder of PC Rathband and sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years. David Rathband, who struggled with his blindness, died by suicide at his home in Blyth on 29 February 2012.
Christopher Brown, David Rathband, Samantha Stobbart
Date
2010
Location
Rothbury, Northumberland, UK
Case status
solved
Case timeline
2010-07-01
Raoul Moat is released from Durham Prison after serving an eighteen-week sentence for assaulting a nine-year-old relative.
2010-07-03
Moat shoots Christopher Brown and Samantha Stobbart at a house in Birtley, killing Brown and wounding Stobbart.
2010-07-04
Moat shoots PC David Rathband as he sits in his patrol vehicle near East Denton, permanently blinding him.
2010-07-05
Northumbria Police reveal Durham Prison had warned them Moat intended to harm Stobbart and voluntarily refer the case to the IPCC.
2010-07-06
Police announce they believe Moat is in the Rothbury area after his car is found nearby; two men later identified as Karl Ness and Qhuram Awan are arrested there.
2010-07-08
Ness and Awan appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court charged with conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm with intent.
2010-07-09
Police locate and surround Moat on the north bank of the River Coquet in Rothbury, beginning a stand-off.
2010-07-10
After nearly six hours of negotiation, Moat shoots himself and is pronounced dead at Newcastle General Hospital, ending the manhunt.
2010-07-13
An inquest into Moat's death opens and is adjourned in Newcastle upon Tyne.
2011-09
An inquest jury returns a verdict of suicide in Moat's death, and the IPCC clears Northumbria Police of wrongdoing over its use of a Taser.
2012-02-29
David Rathband is found dead at his home in Blyth, having died by suicide.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Eleanor Neale / 1 hr 6 min
MOST WANTED MAN IN ENGLAND - The Murderous Rampage of Raoul Moat
People
Karl Ness
CONVICTED
Convicted of the murder of Christopher Brown, conspiracy to murder, and the attempted murder of PC David Rathband, plus robbery and a firearms offence; sentenced to concurrent life terms with a minimum of 40 years.
Qhuram Awan
CONVICTED
Convicted of conspiracy to murder and the attempted murder of PC David Rathband, plus robbery; sentenced to concurrent life terms with a minimum of 20 years.
Christopher Brown
VICTIM
29-year-old karate instructor and Samantha Stobbart's new partner; shot and killed by Raoul Moat at a house in Birtley on 3 July 2010.
Neil Adamson
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Detective Chief Superintendent with Northumbria Police who led public briefings during the manhunt and the investigation into those assisting Moat.
David Rathband
VICTIM
Police constable shot and permanently blinded by Raoul Moat while sitting in his patrol vehicle near East Denton on 4 July 2010; later died by suicide on 29 February 2012.
Samantha Stobbart
VICTIM
Raoul Moat's former partner, 22 at the time; shot and wounded in the arm and abdomen during the Birtley shooting and underwent liver surgery.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
In July 2010, Raoul Moat shot three people in Tyne and Wear — killing Christopher Brown and wounding Samantha Stobbart and police constable David Rathband — then evaded a week-long manhunt across Northumberland before dying by suicide during a stand-off with armed police in Rothbury.
Where did the crime happen?
Rothbury, Northumberland, UK.
Who was convicted?
Karl Ness (Convicted of the murder of Christopher Brown, conspiracy to murder, and the attempted murder of PC David Rathband, plus robbery and a firearms offence; sentenced to concurrent life terms with a minimum of 40 years.) and Qhuram Awan (Convicted of conspiracy to murder and the attempted murder of PC David Rathband, plus robbery; sentenced to concurrent life terms with a minimum of 20 years.).
