The Hunt for Raoul Moat viewers ‘sickened’ to hear gunman hailed a ‘hero’

The Hunt for Raoul Moat viewers were left baffled when the new ITV drama opened with people hailing the gunman a ‘hero’.

Airing in three parts, the chilling new series is inspired by true events, telling the astonishing story of Britain’s biggest manhunt, which took place in 2010.

Raoul Moat – a former bouncer and bodybuilder – was released from prison after serving four months for being physically violent with a nine-year-old relative.

Two days after his release, however, he shot dead karate instructor Christopher Brown, the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend Samatha Stobbart, also wounding her in the abdomen and arm after shooting through her front window.

He went on to strike again, opening fire on Police Constable Rathband as he sat in a police car. Constable Rathband was permanently blinded by the attack, and sadly took his own life two years later after struggling to come to terms with his injuries.

Moat, 37, went on the run, with the manhunt coming to an end a few weeks later on July 10, following a six-hour stand-off with police.

The killer ultimately turned the gun on himself and was pronounced dead at Newcastle General Hospital later on.

ITV’s new true crime drama focuses on the innocent victims of Moat’s deadly attacks, with the criminal played by Matt Stokoe, while Lee Ingleby stars as senior Northumbria Police Officer Neil Adamson, and Sonya Cassidy plays local journalist Diane Barnwell.

The first episode began with a scene one year after Moat died, before flashing back and telling the whole story.

Locals were seen placing flowers in memory of Moat with handwritten notes at the area where he shot himself.

Speaking to reporters, some even said they had travelled to be there on that day.

‘Can I ask where have you travelled from?’, a journalist asked one woman, to which she replied: ‘From Egham, in Surrey.’

When asked what had brought her to Newcastle, she said: ‘We’re here for Raoul Moat.’

‘Respect, man,’ said two young guys.

The lady continued: ‘We’re here because Raoul Moat is a hero to us.’

‘And is that how you see him?’, the reporter quizzed.

‘Nah I do think he’s a hero,’ the woman insisted.

Naturally, viewers at home were astonished by what they were hearing.

‘Baffles me how anyone could view a cold blooded killer as a “hero”.’, one Twitter user wrote.

‘Quite a number of high profile killers throughout history had/have a cult following & are hero worshipped. Scary!’, another wrote.

Remembering the events well, one added: ‘I remember way too many deluded people thinking that somehow Raoul Moat was a “Hero” for evading the police for the time that he did’.

‘How anyone can call Moat a hero should probably speak to the families affected’, another person tweeted.

‘Absolutely ridiculous that there’s people in this world that think Raoul Moat is hero. Sickening’, one viewer blasted.

In fact, most disturbingly, Moat did actually have ‘fans’.

Hundreds of Facebook visitors posted messages of support during the week-long search for the steroid abuser, some of which were read out in the ITV drama.

Groups actually sympathised with him, praising him for ‘getting revenge’ on his ex.

His friends also stood by him.

On the first anniversary of his death, Moat’s friends and family drank a toast at 1.12am on July 10 – the exact time he shot himself following the dramatic armed siege.

And in the lead up to the 10th anniversary of the harrowing events in 2020, which coincided with lockdown restrictions being lifted, residents of the area lived in fear that crowds would flock to their town to mark the grim milestone.

The Hunt for Raoul Moat is available to stream on ITVX.

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