Moat was in Durham prison for badly beating his nine-year-old child having been reported. Moat was a man who thought the whole world was against him, especially the police and while inside he discovered his ex-girlfriend was seeing somebody else. He knew this because his former partner, Samantha Stobbart, went to the jail to tell him, diplomatically, that she was seeing another man, Christopher Brown a martial arts teacher. Samantha was under no obligation to do this as her and Moat had been over for some time but, knowing his temperament, she thought it the decent thing to do. Moat went ballistic expressing the violent reaction she had feared.
To make matters worse, and to frighten him away, she thought, she told the maniac her “new fella was a policeman” which did not go down well with Moat. She said this in all innocence hoping if Moat thought she was seeing a copper it would act as a deterrent. It did not. In fact, it had the opposite affect and made the situation and Moat's rage worse. Moat did not have long to serve and he intimated to his cell mate he intended doing something about the situation with Samantha and her new bloke. The cell mate, somewhat concerned over Moat's remarks informed the prison authorities who could do little as there was no concrete evidence Moat had said anything. They did, however, email Northumbria police warning them of their fears that Moat posed a violent threat.
The email was either received or acted on too late. This oversight cost Christopher Brown, a decent lad, his life and Samantha Stobbart was seriously wounded. Moat later said he had not wanted to kill his former girlfriend just warn her never to do this again. Moat then went hunting for policemen who he blamed for his predicament. He found PC David Rathband in his patrol car and approached the vehicle, shooting the unarmed officer through the window. Rathband was seriously wounded and lost his sight as a result of the shooting. He committed suicide two years later on 29th February 2012. Moat then went on the run which had been the case since he had shot Christopher and Samantha, except now he vowed to continue his campaign as he saw it first against the police, then he would extend it to civilians. Even the so-called laws of the prison system where it is taboo to go with a serving prisoner’s wife or girlfriend did not apply in this case as the couple had been separated for some time before Moat went to jail. The law of the jungle was non-applicable here, except in Moat's deranged mind.
The Northumbria Police genuinely wanted to take Moat alive and to this end they used an unapproved (by the Home Office) experimental wireless long range electric shock weapon designed to immobilise but not kill the target. There may have been an argument the new weapon, in effect an updated version of the taser, may have jolted Moats fingers into pulling the trigger of the sawn-off shotgun he had to his own head. Moat had been cornered in a field after a tip off about his whereabouts and was threatening to kill himself rather than be taken alive. There may have been a case his demise was accelerated by the jolt of the taser but equally he was going to shoot himself anyway. To me, the outcome would have been the same and I think Moat did indeed shoot himself purposely. I am no lover of the police in a capitalist system but on this occasion they had no choice - a man like Raoul Moat had to be stopped. There were no politics behand Moat and his antics, no glorious cause, just his bitter jealousy of his ex-girlfriend who had met somebody else.
What is as disturbing, if not more so outside those directly involved, was the number of people who saw Moat as a ‘legend’ and some kind of ‘hero.’ One email said; “well done to Raoul Moat, after what that bitch did to him. If it happened to me, I would do the same thing”. What kind of idiot writes something of this nature? This was not the only email or text of this nature, what were they suggesting; that Samantha had no right to start again with another caring partner after her violent experiences with Moat? Were they really advocating this, that she should for the rest of her life be enslaved to this nutter, Moat? Perhaps if she had been engaged to Moat before he went to prison and then she dumped him for another man his anger, but not actions, could be understood on a personal level. However, this was not the case, the pair had not been a couple for months prior to Moat going down. What these hero worshipers were thinking is beyond me, perhaps this society we are pleased to call civilised is anything but!
The Northumbria Police genuinely wanted to take Moat alive and to this end they used an unapproved (by the Home Office) experimental wireless long range electric shock weapon designed to immobilise but not kill the target. There may have been an argument the new weapon, in effect an updated version of the taser, may have jolted Moats fingers into pulling the trigger of the sawn-off shotgun he had to his own head. Moat had been cornered in a field after a tip off about his whereabouts and was threatening to kill himself rather than be taken alive. There may have been a case his demise was accelerated by the jolt of the taser but equally he was going to shoot himself anyway. To me, the outcome would have been the same and I think Moat did indeed shoot himself purposely. I am no lover of the police in a capitalist system but on this occasion they had no choice - a man like Raoul Moat had to be stopped. There were no politics behand Moat and his antics, no glorious cause, just his bitter jealousy of his ex-girlfriend who had met somebody else.
What is as disturbing, if not more so outside those directly involved, was the number of people who saw Moat as a ‘legend’ and some kind of ‘hero.’ One email said; “well done to Raoul Moat, after what that bitch did to him. If it happened to me, I would do the same thing”. What kind of idiot writes something of this nature? This was not the only email or text of this nature, what were they suggesting; that Samantha had no right to start again with another caring partner after her violent experiences with Moat? Were they really advocating this, that she should for the rest of her life be enslaved to this nutter, Moat? Perhaps if she had been engaged to Moat before he went to prison and then she dumped him for another man his anger, but not actions, could be understood on a personal level. However, this was not the case, the pair had not been a couple for months prior to Moat going down. What these hero worshipers were thinking is beyond me, perhaps this society we are pleased to call civilised is anything but!
One year after Moat was killed on 10th July 2010 people travelled from as far afield as Sussex to pay homage to the ‘legend’ Raoul Moat. For anybody not too sure of the geography of England Northumberland is the most northernly county before Scotland, while Sussex is down south about a three-hundred-mile plus drive. Not exactly local and even if it was, why would anybody want to visit and ‘pay homage’ to a madman like Moat? One woman took her two sons from southern England to pay homage to the ‘legend’ who was, in her eyes, Raoul Moat. What do the feminists make of such a woman?
To add insult to injury once Moat was dead a Twitter account was set up in his support and attracted around 30,000 followers. This might be a drop in the ocean with the population of England around the 55.9 million but on a micro scale it was a sizeable number. It means in England there are 30,000 upwards people, normal everyday people, who thought and still think Raoul Moat is a ‘legend’ a hero. Some people were singing in pubs; ”Raoul Moat is our friend, is our friend, is our friend, Raoul Moat is our friend, he shoots coppers”. This was a remake of an earlier song about police killer Harry Roberts. A man who kills in cold blood for no other reason than his own paranoia is a fucking ‘legend’ in the minds of these imbeciles. If that were the case, and genuine subnormal people be what they really are then it could almost be forgiven because they may know no better, but this was not the case. These people who signed up to this account and, in some cases, travelled the six-hundred-mile round trip to pay homage were/are perfectly normal, sane and adjusted people, suffering no mental deficiencies.
To add insult to injury once Moat was dead a Twitter account was set up in his support and attracted around 30,000 followers. This might be a drop in the ocean with the population of England around the 55.9 million but on a micro scale it was a sizeable number. It means in England there are 30,000 upwards people, normal everyday people, who thought and still think Raoul Moat is a ‘legend’ a hero. Some people were singing in pubs; ”Raoul Moat is our friend, is our friend, is our friend, Raoul Moat is our friend, he shoots coppers”. This was a remake of an earlier song about police killer Harry Roberts. A man who kills in cold blood for no other reason than his own paranoia is a fucking ‘legend’ in the minds of these imbeciles. If that were the case, and genuine subnormal people be what they really are then it could almost be forgiven because they may know no better, but this was not the case. These people who signed up to this account and, in some cases, travelled the six-hundred-mile round trip to pay homage were/are perfectly normal, sane and adjusted people, suffering no mental deficiencies.
🖼 Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist.
That seems a must view Caoimhin.
ReplyDeleteGood piece, Caoimhin.
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting TV. Moat meets every stereotype of a 'roid enraged doorman imaginable. The world is a better place without him in it.
That he had two accomplices to support him in his
Twas a good watch
ReplyDeleteCam Comments
ReplyDeleteFrom Cam:
While silently contemplating his situation and trying to work out a resolution that benefits everyone such as surrender or…..surrender or even surrender…..his negotiations were rudely interrupted by an inebriated and coke smashed Gazza, with a KFC family bucket, a fishing rod and a six pack of lager, with one tinnie missing,…..Moat must have thought…what the fuck, where’s my helicopter and 1 million quid…..any wonder he shot himself!!!