ITV’S The Hunt for Raoul Moat has been gripping viewers for the past three nights.
But while the drama may now have come to a showstopping finale, in real life the bouncer’s deadly rampage would leave its mark on those involved for years to follow.
It had begun on July 3, 2010, when fuelled by jealousy, bouncer and bodybuilder Moat had hunted down and shot his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart and her new boyfriend Chris Brown.
Samantha survived but Chris died instantly - as Moat, just two days out of jail, then began a week-long reign of terror across Gateshead and Newcastle, as part of a misplaced vendetta against Northumbria Police.
Hours after the first shooting, Moat, 37, shot and blinded on-duty policeman, PC David Rathband, before going into hiding and sparking the largest manhunt in modern history.
For seven days, police searched for the killer, while he taunted them with phone calls threatening to kill them and the public.
Finally, it came down to a six-hour police stand-off on a rainy Northumberland riverbank, where - after a bizarre encounter with Paul Gascoigne - Moat shot himself in the head with a shotgun.
His family, and the families of his victims were for ever affected. So what happened next to those who were tragically caught up in his rage?
The Ex, Samantha Stobbart....went into hiding
Samantha Stobbart was Raoul Moat’s ex and the mother of his then four-year-old daughter, when he was jailed for assault in early 2010
While he was inside, Samantha moved on with her life and began seeing karate instructor Chris Brown. She told cop-hater Moat, that Chris was a police officer, wrongly believing her ex would never dare approach them, if that were the case.
Instead, Moat swore he would get “vengeance” and on July 3, 2010, two days after being released, he confronted Chris and Samantha at their friends’ house in Gateshead, where they had been staying. He shot Chris at close range with a sawn-off shotgun, in the neck, chest and head. He was killed instantly.
The bouncer then shot Samantha hitting her in the arm and abdomen.
After the tragedy she tried to rebuild her life but it was a long struggle - she covered her three bullet wound scars with tattoos and attempted to shield daughter from the public eye. But two years later, she was still so scared, she had moved back with her parents.
“All I have to do is shut my eyes and I’m there. Chris is lying on the grass, dead. And Raoul is outside,” she told the Mirror in 2012. “There are hundreds of people out there who blame me. That’s why we have moved three times in two years, why I’m now living with my parents, and why I’m always looking over my shoulder.”
Samantha has since stepped back from the public eye, and chose not to speak publicly during the drama, having moved home again, in a bid for a fresh start.
Moat’s children...left sickened
It’s thought Moat had a total of six children from different women, including the eldest Katelaine Fitzpatrick.
Katelaine, now 24, and her mother Caroline Dodd, 43, were taken to a police safe house during Moat’s rampage, in case he came after them. She had never known her father. She was 11 when died but he had refused to meet her. The first time she had ever heard his voice was when the TV news played his chilling call to police, threatening to kill officers if they pursued him. She’s remembers the relief when she saw him pull the trigger on TV.
“When he killed himself we hugged each other,” she said recently. “I didn’t hate him then, I didn’t want him to be dead. But it was over, a relief.”
Caroline nows works as a counselor and Katelaine is a full-time mum to children Mckenzie, seven, and six-month-old Harper, who she credits with helping her “move on”.
She previously said: “Being his flesh and blood sickens me at times, it’s hard to believe who I am. I can’t believe I come from that man.
“I’m so glad I didn’t know him, and that I became the person I am today despite all I have been through.”
Chris Brown’s family... Furious about TV show
According to Samantha’s testimony at Chris’ inquest, he had deliberately stepped in front of Moat to protect her. He was shot in the neck and chest before a third shot was put to his head at close range. His devastated family blamed Samantha for telling cop-hater Moat that Chris was a policeman. They also blamed police officers for not warning their son his life could be in danger following Moat’s release from prison.
Christopher’s mother Sally Brown, 72, is still living with the pain, recently saying of Samantha’s fateful lie: “Why goad the man? [Moat] She knew what he was capable of. So yes, I blame her.”
She’s also furious about the TV show. She recently hit out at TV bosses chasing ratings, saying: “When they make these programmes no-one ever thinks about the mothers. They should allow my son to rest in peace.”
PC David Rathband...a tragic end
Moat shot PC David Rathband in the face whilst he was taking part in the manhunt, triggering a tragic chain of events.
PC Rathband was inside his parked patrol car on a roundabout in Newcastle, when he was randomly targeted by the assailant. A year earlier, by coincidence, he had interviewed Moat under caution in the back of his same police car, for driving a van that was uninsured. But that fateful day, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He survived but was left disfigured and blind, later saying: ”There was a white flash of light from the barrel and that was the last thing I saw.”
The then Prince Charles wrote him a letter parising his bravery and saying: ”The United Kingdom owes a huge debt of gratitude to policemen like yourself.” Meanwhile the officer used his profile to set up the Blue Lamp Foundation to support 999 staff injured at work.
In February 2012, almost 18 months after the shooting, however David was found hanged at his home in Blyth. A coroner ruled that he could not cope with his disability and the subsequent breakdown of his marriage. The officer had moved out of the marital home in August 2011 after his wife Kath found out he was having an affair with 7/7 London bombing survivor Lisa French. Days before his death, he had tweeted: “Disaster. Job lost, eyes lost, family lost, wife and marriage lost, what a year.”’
PC Rathband’s daughter Mia...honouring her father
PC Rathband’s ex-wife Kath later remarried but divorced after a year. Their daughter Mia was at home celebrating her 12th birthday with a sleepover party, the night her father was shot.
Her dad was not meant to have been on duty, but had volunteered for a late shift to free up the house for her friends.
Just months after his death in early 2012, a then 13-year-old Mia took up his place as a torchbearer in the London Olympic Games, completing her stint blindfolded to honour her father.
Now 24, Mia, who lives in Yorkshire, is now a parent herself - to 15-month-old son Ronnie who has the middle name David after the grandfather he will never know.
She’s also followed in her father’s footsteps to become a police officer, as well as helping his charity foundation.
“I wanted to do it for my dad, really,” she said of joining the force. “When he was alive, I’d said I was thinking of it. I guess that what happened to him was either going to put me off completely or push me towards it.
“But if I’d let it put me off, it would have meant Moat winning, wouldn’t it? When I got the letter saying I’d been accepted, it was bittersweet. I wanted to ring Dad to tell him.”
Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne....back to reality
While it wasn’t shown in the show, the Former England international played an inconsequential but infamous role in the 2010 manhunt. He made headlines after turning up at Raoul Moat’s final stand-off in Rothbury, convinced he get through to the killer in what would turn out to be his final hours.
However, Gazza was suffering from mental health issues and abusing alcohol and drugs at the time. He arrived at a police stand-off in his dressing gown with chicken, lager and a fishing rod. Speaking in 2015 he said he “genuinely believed” he was the “best therapist in the world” and was capable of “saving Raoul”.
The star has since overcome his addictions and is appearing in new reality TV show Scared of the Dark.
