Raoul Moat

by Vanessa Howard

On July 1st Raoul Moat was released from Durham prison after serving 18 weeks for assault on a minor. In the 10 days that followed, Moat brought terror and fear to the Northumberland countryside, seriously injuring his ex-girlfriend and killing her partner before vowing to harm any policemen who got in his way. Armed with a sawn-off shotgun, Moat went on the run and continued his violent rampage, shooting police constable David Rathband and fleeing to the remote moors of Northumberland. This is the full story behind Moat's ten days on the run. It traces his final steps in what became one of Britain's biggest police manhunt, from the initial murder in Birtley, through to the police standoff on the banks of the River Coquet in Rothby. Examining the various police, press and witness reports, and piecing together Moat's final movements across the Northumberland countryside, this is the retelling of one of the most deadly manhunts Britain has ever seen, and the first insight into what made Moat a killer.

Genres: True Crime

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2010

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rush job, pseudo "celebrity" tie-in from journalist Vanessa Howard, this is a near-contemporary account of Raoul Moat and his violent crime spree across the north of England which took place a decade ago. The story is gripping and disturbing - although perhaps not as disturbing as that of Derrick Bird, the Cumbrian mass murderer who slaughtered many more people a month before - but it's given an ordinary treatment here. Annoyingly, this book came out before any inquests, so there are sections where the author admits to having no information on what happened at a specific time. Elsewhere, the slimness of the material means there's a lot of random padding attempting to draw the likes of social inequality (interesting) and Big Brother (not so much) into the mix, which doesn't always pay off.

[Phil Rice]

On 1st July Raoul Moat was released from Durham prison after serving 18 weeks for assault on a minor. In the 10 days that followed, Moat brought terror and fear to the Northumberland countryside, seriously injuring his ex-girlfriend and killing her partner before vowing to harm any policemen who got in his way. Armed with a sawn-off shotgun, Moat went on the run and continued his violent rampage, shooting police constable David Rathband and fleeing to the remote moors of Northumberland. This is the full story behind Moat's ten days on the run. It traces his final steps in what became one of Britain's biggest police manhunt, from the initial murder in Birtley, through to the police standoff on the banks of the River Coquet in Rothbury. Examining the various police, press and witness reports, and piecing together Moat's final movements across the Northumberland countryside, this is the retelling of one of the most deadly manhunts Britain has ever seen, and the first insight into what made Moat a killer.

[Stuart Pope · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another poor put together book.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published the same year, that Raoul Moat's rampage took place. Some facts aren't cleared up and the parts about child abuse and domestic violence seem to be pretty generic.

[L. Penn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unpleasant true story, detailed, well told, leaving an air of sadness.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

All time