In the early hours of 3 July 2010, two people were shot in Birtley, a small town outside Newcastle, and the North East began a week it would not forget. By the time the pursuit ended on 10 July, Raoul Moat had killed one man, wounded two others and set off a seven-day armed manhunt stretching from Tyne and Wear to Northumberland. This article separates the confirmed record from the lingering speculation, and looks at what the case still means for UK policing and the media that covered it.
Age at death: 37 years · Victims: 1 killed, 2 injured · Manhunt duration: 7 days (3–10 July 2010) · Standoff location: Rothbury, Northumberland
Quick snapshot
- Moat shot and killed Chris Brown in Birtley on 3 July 2010 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- Samantha Stobart was shot twice through a living‑room window and survived (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- Moat died from a self‑inflicted gunshot after the Rothbury standoff (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- Police said the attacks were not random; a fuller motive never established (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- Whether Moat had a direct prior friendship with Paul Gascoigne is unverified (ITV News (UK broadcaster)).
- Manhunt ran from 3 to 10 July 2010 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- Final Rothbury standoff lasted around six hours (ABC News Australia (national broadcaster)).
- Police arrested 21 people in connection with the wider inquiry by August 2010 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- The inquest verdict remains the formal legal conclusion on how Moat died (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
Nine facts about one man, one pattern: the established record is mostly administrative, while the explanations for his actions remain open.
| Full name | Raoul Thomas Moat |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 February 1973 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)) |
| Date of death | 10 July 2010 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)) |
| Occupation | Bouncer, bodybuilder |
| Criminal record | Previous convictions for violence (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)) |
| Known for | 2010 shooting spree and seven‑day manhunt |
| Investigating force | Northumbria Police (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)) |
| Inquest verdict | Suicide (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)) |
| TV documentary | The Hunt for Raoul Moat (ITV, 2023) |
How many episodes are there of The Hunt for Raoul Moat?
Overview of the ITV documentary series
- The Hunt for Raoul Moat is a three‑part ITV documentary series that first aired in 2023, revisiting what ITV News titled “the seven‑day manhunt that gripped the nation (ITV News (UK broadcaster)).
- Each episode covers a different stage of the pursuit, from the Birtley shootings to the Rothbury standoff.
- The series reconstructs a manhunt that ended without a trial because Moat died on 10 July 2010 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
The series landed in a different media environment than the one that reported the live pursuit. In 2010 the North East watched the manhunt unfold hour by hour; 2023 packaged same story was packaged as a box‑set tale about policing, publicity and a gunman who dominated the news cycle for a full week.
A documentary can revisit the evidence, but it cannot put Moat on trial. That is why the inquest verdict remains the legal endpoint of his story (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
Production and release details
- The title refers to the operation led by Northumbria Police between 3 and 10 July 2010 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- ITV broadcast the three‑part series in 2023, more than a decade after the events it depicts.
- It is a retrospective account, not contemporaneous coverage, which gives its producers access to inquest findings and official statements that were not public in 2010.
The implication: the documentary has introduced Moat to viewers with no memory of the live fear, which means the case is now being judged by people who only know the ending — changes that change the responsibilities of the storyteller.
Did Paul Gascoigne know Raoul Moat?
The connection between Gascoigne and Moat
- Paul Gascoigne, former England footballer, claimed a friendship with Moat and said he wanted to help end the standoff (ITV News (UK broadcaster)).
- Public reporting at the time never verified a direct prior friendship between the two men; the claim remains one of the case’s cases its loose ends.
Gascoigne’s involvement during the manhunt
- Gascoigne arrived near the scene during the final standoff and was turned away by police before he could reach Moat (ITV News (UK broadcaster)).
- The attempt happened while a two‑mile exclusion zone and a five‑mile outside zone were in force around Rothbury (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)); ITV News (UK broadcaster)
Because the more famous the manhunt became, the easier police police had to work to control its edges — the test of that control in real time — and turning him away was also a statement about who owned the operation.
How old was Raoul Moat when he died?
Date birth and death
- Moat born 17 February 1973 (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster))
- )
Moat died on 10 July 2010 at the final Rothbury (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
Age 37 and age 37: Moat was a grown‑up elderly that makes him a physically‑ imposing threat.
What happened to Samantha Stobart?
Details of shot through window window (
Who helped find Raoul Moat?
Police units and tactics
- Northumbria Police led the manhunt with support from armed forces RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- 160 armed officers were involved according to contemporary reporting ABC News Australia).
Public tips
- Police found Moat’s black Lexus after public tip (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
- Police arrested 21 other individuals (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
- Karl Ness and Qhuram Awan held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder (RTÉ (Irish public broadcaster)).
Line: treat local information as core intelligence.
Timeline: seven‑day manhunt
- 3 July 2010 — shot Stobart and Brown
- 4 July 2010 — shoots PC Rathband
- 5‑9 July 2010 — manhunt expands
- 10 July 2010 — standoff and death
Confirmed facts and open questions
Confirmed
- 3 July 2010 murders Chris Brown and wounded Stobart; death 10 July
What remains unclear
– Motive never verified; Gascoigne friendship unverified
What police and the inquest said
Police did not fire shots final confrontation.
Jury recorded suicide.
Related reading: Rolf Harris: Latest Verified Information, Crimes, Death & Legacy · Karen Read Trial: What Happened, Verdict, and Where She Is Now
Additional sources
Frequently asked questions
What was motive!
Police said targeted.
Jury recorded suicide.
What was motive!
Police said targeted.
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Richard Vane is Senior Reporter at MorningTimes.uk, covering breaking UK news stories across politics, business and public affairs.