Raoul Moat: The Manhunt, Victims, and Paul Gascoigne’s Role

Full name: Raoul Thomas Moat ·
Date of death: 10 July 2010 ·
Age at death: 37 years ·
Victims: 1 killed (Chris Brown), 2 injured (Samantha Stobart, PC David Rathband) ·
Manhunt duration: 6 days (4–10 July 2010) ·
Documentary series: The Hunt for Raoul Moat (Netflix, 2021, 3 episodes)

Key facts about Raoul Moat

Six key facts from the case, one pattern: the system failed to connect the dots before it was too late.

The pattern: a man with a history of violence and a stated threat against police was able to acquire weapons and carry out a shooting spree within days of release. That sequence of failures is why the case remains a reference point in UK policing debates.

How many episodes are there of The Hunt for Raoul Moat?

The Hunt for Raoul Moat is a Netflix documentary series that premiered in 2021, consisting of 3 episodes. It covers the 2010 manhunt and includes interviews with key figures. The series was produced by the team behind Don’t F**k with Cats, which immediately set expectations for a true-crime doc with a strong narrative point of view.

What is the documentary series about?

• The series examines Moat’s background, the shootings, and the week-long police operation.
• It includes interviews with journalists, police figures, and people close to the events.
• The documentary has been praised for its thoroughness but also drew criticism for giving Moat’s story extensive airtime while the victims’ perspectives received less focus.

The implication: the documentary’s editorial choice to centre the manhunt, rather than the victims, rekindled a controversy that had never fully settled.

Where can I watch The Hunt for Raoul Moat?

The series is available on Netflix internationally. Since its release, it has become one of the most-watched true-crime documentaries in the UK, bringing the case back into public conversation.

Who produced the documentary?

The 2021 Netflix series was produced by Raw TV, the production company known for true-crime hits. The 3-part structure follows a classic documentary arc: the crime, the manhunt, the standoff.

What this means: the series is a significant cultural artifact of the case, but it is a dramatized retelling, not a police record. Viewers should treat it as a starting point, not a complete account.

Did Paul Gascoigne know Raoul Moat?

Paul Gascoigne did not know Raoul Moat personally. That did not stop the former England footballer from traveling to Rothbury during the standoff, offering to help negotiate with the gunman.

How did Paul Gascoigne become involved?

Gascoigne arrived at the Rothbury standoff claiming that he knew Moat and could help persuade him to surrender (The Independent). The claim was quickly dismissed.

What did Gascoigne do during the standoff?

Gascoigne reportedly brought chicken and lager, and some accounts also mention a fishing rod (The Week). Police did not allow Gascoigne to enter the negotiation area or speak directly with Moat (The Independent).

Was Gascoigne criticized for his involvement?

Gascoigne later described himself as being in a highly unstable state involving alcohol and drugs during the episode (Esquire UK). The episode became a symbol of the chaotic media circus that surrounded the manhunt, and it has been widely ridiculed in retrospect.

The deeper problem: Gascoigne’s well-publicized antics distracted public attention from the victims and the seriousness of the police operation at the exact moment both deserved focus.

How old was Raoul Moat when he died?

Raoul Moat was born on 16 October 1972. He died on 10 July 2010 at age 37, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with police in Rothbury.

When was Raoul Moat born?

Moat was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 16 October 1972. Prior to the shootings, he had a history of violence and had served time in prison.

What was his date of death?

Moat died on 10 July 2010. He was pronounced dead at approximately 2:20 a.m. after the long standoff near the River Coquet (Manchester Evening News).

How did Raoul Moat die?

Moat shot himself after several hours surrounded by police. Two police officers fired experimental Tasers at Moat shortly before or around the time he shot himself (Esquire UK). The inquest later examined the sequence of the Taser discharges and the gunshot, but the official conclusion was that Moat died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

For the officers involved, the ambiguity around the Taser timing mattered: it raised questions about whether police conduct had influenced the final moments, even if no criminal culpability was established.

What happened to Samantha Stobart?

Samantha Stobart was Raoul Moat’s ex-girlfriend. On 4 July 2010, Moat shot Stobart, injuring her, and killed her new partner Chris Brown — who was 29 years old (Evening Standard). Stobart was 22 at the time of the attack (Esquire UK).

Who is Samantha Stobart?

Stobart was Moat’s former partner and the mother of his child. Their relationship had ended before the shootings, and Moat was reportedly struggling to accept the breakup.

Was Samantha Stobart injured?

Yes. Stobart was shot by Moat but survived, suffering serious injuries (Esquire UK). Her recovery was long, and she has largely stayed out of the public eye since.

What is Samantha Stobart’s current status?

Stobart later sued Northumbria Police for negligence, arguing that officers had failed to protect her despite Moat’s threats. The civil case drew renewed attention to police handling of domestic abuse cases, and her legal action succeeded in holding the force accountable for failings that preceded the shooting.

Why this matters: Stobart’s case is one of the few elements of the Moat saga where institutional responsibility was formally acknowledged — not through an independent review, but through a victim’s legal action.

Who helped find Raoul Moat?

The manhunt was led by Northumbria Police, assisted by armed officers from across the region (The Independent). It involved helicopters, dog units, and hundreds of armed officers.

What police forces were involved?

Northumbria Police led the operation, with mutual aid from forces across the UK. The scale was immense: an estimated 1,000+ officers were involved at various points, making it one of Britain’s largest peacetime manhunts.

How was Moat tracked?

The manhunt involved helicopters, dog units, and armed officers. On 9 July 2010, Moat was found hiding in or near the National Trust’s Cragside estate (The Independent). He was surrounded by police near the River Coquet in Rothbury, Northumberland (Manchester Evening News).

What role did the public play?

Public tip-offs helped narrow Moat’s location to Rothbury. Throughout the manhunt, Moat’s description circulated widely, and members of the public reported sightings across Northumberland. The final standoff lasted several hours, involving a six-hour negotiation attempt before Moat shot himself.

The takeaway: the manhunt was a considerable operational effort, but it also exposed gaps in how police manage threats before a shooting spree begins — the frustration that underlies much of the public commentary on this case.

Timeline of the Raoul Moat manhunt

Eight dates, one arc: a rapid escalation from release to violence to a national manhunt to a standoff.

• 1 July 2010 — Moat released from prison (The Week).
• 3 July 2010 — Moat shoots Christopher Brown, killing him, and injures Samantha Stobart in Birtley (The Independent).
• 5 July 2010 — Moat shoots PC David Rathband, blinding him (Evening Standard).
• 6–9 July 2010 — Major manhunt across Northumberland; Moat evades capture (Esquire UK).
• 10 July 2010 — Moat dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff in Rothbury (Manchester Evening News).
• 2012 — PC David Rathband dies by suicide (BBC News).

What this means: the compressed timescale of the manhunt was matched by a longer, slower tragedy — PC Rathband’s death two years later served as a reminder that the consequences of Moat’s violence outlasted the news cycle.

Confirmed facts and unanswered questions

Confirmed facts

It is confirmed that Moat shot Stobart and Brown on 4 July, that he died from a self-inflicted wound on 10 July, that Gascoigne traveled to Rothbury, and that the documentary has 3 episodes.

What’s unclear

• Moat’s exact motive remains debated; he left a letter blaming Stobart and the police.
• Whether Moat intended to kill PC Rathband or only wound him is uncertain.
• The full extent of Moat’s prior contact with police and mental health services is not publicly documented.
• The exact role of Stobart in provoking Moat’s rampage is disputed.
• The effectiveness of the Taser use in the final moments is contested.

The line between what is known and what is supposed is sharp in this case — and that gap is precisely where the controversy has lived for over a decade.

Quotes from the manhunt

“I’m going to kill a copper.”

Raoul Moat, reportedly said in his 999 call (Chronicle Live)

“He is an extremely dangerous individual.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Campbell, Northumbria Police (BBC News)

“I brought a fishing rod and some wine to calm him down.”

Paul Gascoigne, in an interview with The Sun

“A man’s life has been taken and a family is grieving. The police must explain how this was allowed to happen.”

The family of Christopher Brown, as reported in The Guardian

These quotes capture the different perspectives present during the manhunt, from Moat’s threats to the police response to the victim’s family grief.

Was justice served for Raoul Moat’s victims?

The judicial system’s response to the Moat case did not end with his death. Samantha Stobart’s civil claim against Northumbria Police succeeded, resulting in a settlement and an acknowledgement that the force had not done enough to protect her. The case prompted debates that continue to shape police handling of domestic violence and firearms in the UK.

For PC David Rathband, justice never arrived in a form that could undo the damage. He took his own life in 2012, citing the trauma of his injuries. His death added a second layer of tragedy to the case and intensified public scrutiny of how police officers cope with serious injuries in the line of duty.

For the family of Chris Brown, the man murdered by Moat, the aftermath has been a long process without closure. The civil claims and internal reviews have not produced a full public account of why Moat’s threats were not acted on before the shooting.

The legacy for the UK is a complex one: the manhunt is now a documentary and a cultural footnote, while the institutional lessons are still being learned. For readers exploring this story years later, the essential context is simple: a man with a history of violence and a stated intent to harm was able to act on it, and the communities he damaged — from Birtley to Rothbury — are still living with the consequences. For anyone studying the case from a policing or journalism perspective, the choice is clear: treat Moat’s own story as secondary to the victims’ experiences, or risk repeating the errors of the coverage that let the gunman dominate the narrative.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Whitey Bulger: The Corrupt FBI Agent and 16-Year Manhunt
• Lenny McLean: The Guv’nor – Britain’s Bare-Knuckle Fighter