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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Who was Raoul Moat and why did he go on the run?

Ten years on from his crime spree, a new documentary is set to tell the inside story of how Raoul Moat, one of Britain's most notorious killers, managed to escape a massive search operation.

Manhunt: The Raoul Moat Story on ITV sees presenter Nicky Campbell tell the 10-year-old story through interviews with police, victims' relatives and witnesses of the shocking crime spree.

The 37-year old was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and had previously worked as a bouncer and tree surgeon.

After Moat was released from prison following an 18-week sentence for assault, having heard his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart had a new boyfriend who he understood to be a police officer, he gathered up materials he planned to use during his murderous spree, including a sawn-off shotgun.

On July 3 2010, Moat killed his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend Chris Brown outside before firing at and injuring Samantha through the window of the house they were in.

He then went on the run.

Moat evaded capture for a week, making terrifying phone calls to Northumbria Police threatening to kill members of the public due to the widespread media coverage of the case - all while holed up in a tent in woods close to Newcastle.

He surfaced when he shot on-duty police officer PC David Rathband in his car nearly 24 hours later, before disappearing again.

The killer eventually committed suicide with a shotgun after a six-hour dramatic stand-off with police in Rothbury on July 10 - seven days after the first shootings.

Manhunt: The Raoul Moat Story airs at 9pm tonight on ITV.

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