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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Sam Elliott-Gibbs

What happened to Raoul Moat? Killer's final moments as ITV drama relives shooting spree

Viewers will re-live the horror shooting spree of Raoul Moat - and the devastating aftermath - as part of a controversial new three-part drama by ITV.

The 6ft-plus ex-nightclub bouncer was behind one of Britain's largest ever manhunts after evading justice for over a week.

Around 160 police officers were involved with the search for armed Moat who went on the run after shooting and wounding his former girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, killing her new lover Christopher Brown and blinding traffic officer PC David Rathband.

The Hunt For Raoul Moat will relive the killer's seven days on the run that reached a dramatic and bloody conclusion one evening in Rothbury, Northumberland.

Matt Stokoe portrays Raoul Moat in the new ITV show (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In the early hours of July 9, residents of Rothbury were warned to stay indoors as the deadly former prisoner roamed the vicinity and police closed in.

Having been spotted around the village, steroid-addicted bodybuilder Moat was eventually cornered by police officers on the banks of the River Coquet.

What followed was a tense stand-off between the police forces and the killer, who stood with a sawn-off shot gun aimed at his neck.

We will get to see the tense stand-off over the next few days (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

During a gruelling six enduring hours of tough negotiations, police desperately tried to convince Raoul to surrender himself.

But as marksmen aimed their guns at the country's most wanted man, it soon became clear that this would not be short - or straight-forward.

At one point, the forces sent in food and water as the hours began to tick by.

It was nearing 1:15am on July 10, amid torrential rain, when a single shot broke the silence at the tense scene.

Raoul Moat went on shooting spree in 2010 (Getty Images)

Moat had shot himself in the head.

Minutes later, police reported that the suspect had suffered a gunshot wound and was being transferred to hospital.

Moat was pronounced dead less than an hour later, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

An inquest into the former doorman's death also heard that two police officers had fired tasers at Raoul as they feared he was going to take his own life.

The three-week inquest at Newcastle Crown Court was told that Moat was hit by an experimental Taser round fired by marksmen who believed he was about to kill himself.

Moat gunned down his ex, her new boyfriend and a police officer (ITV STUDIOS)

The Taser had no effect, and the killer shot himself in the head.

The inquest revealed that Moat said he would "take the shoot-out" rather than go back to prison.

His brother Angus told the hearing that he should have been allowed to negotiate with his brother.

His request had been turned down by police officers who had said the gunman responded to aggression and threat "but he also responded to kindness and friendship".

Northumbria Police Chief Constable Sue Sim welcomed the 2011 verdict.

She said: "Raoul Moat chose his path, he decided to murder, attempt to murder and to threaten the lives of the public and police officers.

"He had many opportunities to hand himself in and face justice, yet he chose not to do so. His victims had no such choice.

"This was an extremely complex and dynamic operation. In the first few days we were also dealing with a potential hostage situation.

"We always wanted to bring him to justice."

The Hunt For Raoul Moat airs tonight on 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX

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