As the episode opens, a video shows people honoring Raoul Moat (Matt Stokoe) on the first anniversary of his death. An Egham woman describes Moat as a “hero.”

June 2010 Birtley, Gateshead (1 Year Earlier) – Samantha “Sam” Stobbart (Sally Messham) and Suzie Clarke (Jessica Johnson) are sitting on the lawn when Lesley Stobbart (Gina Murry) announces dinner is ready. Sam asks Christopher “Chris” Brown (Josef Davies) about his brochure. He informs her of his weekend karate course. As her daughter pulls her away, she calls his number on the brochure.

Upon arriving at a nightclub, Sam flees after seeing the doorman is her ex’s best mate. She admits to being concerned about the man telling her ex that she was with him. He makes a joke about being a “handsome bas**ard” before they kiss.

Sam apologizes to Lesley for not coming back last night. Lesley suggests it was a good night. Sam describes her time with Chris as “lovely.” Lesley assures her she deserves it.

HM Prison Durham (Two Weeks Later) – Raoul leaves a voicemail when Sam doesn’t pick up the phone. She tells Suzie he thinks she is his possession. Suzie suggests getting an emergency protective order against him. Sam warns it would provoke him further. Suzie assures her that he won’t come near her place. Sam says he will if he thinks his visitation rights are being threatened. After scolding her for withholding it from Chris, Suzie demands she tells him.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 – Sam and Chris are together when she receives a call from Raoul. He asks who keeps calling her. She assures him it’s nothing. Raoul slams down the receiver. When Chris gives her a key to his flat, she breaks down sobbing. A prison guard watches as he tells someone on the phone to continue watching Sam. Sam tells Chris about Raoul’s abusive behavior toward her and their daughter. She warns he will never accept their relationship. Raoul is due to be released the following week. Chris suggests he talk to him. She says it’s best they lay low so he doesn’t find out about them.

During a prison visit, Raoul tells Sam that they’re all he thinks about. He asks how the puppies are doing. She says they will be returned to him as soon as he is released. He suggests they walk them together. She tells him that it’s over between them. He assures her that he can change. She asks him to stay away from them. He denies hitting their daughter. She admits to moving on but refuses to give him a name. He sends Chris a message, threatening to break his back. She claims Chris is a police officer.

Upon being released from prison, Raoul calls Sam. He promises to continue calling until she answers. When a prison guard reports Raoul’s threats toward Sam, he is told to document them in his discharge report.

Raoul takes his frustration to social media.

HMP Durham Friday, July 2, 2010 – Jody Wills (Marianne McIvor) follows up on Raoul’s SIR only to find it hasn’t been touched. She stresses the importance of escalating the SIR as it contains a direct threat to cause serious harm.

4:16pm Northumbria Police Headquarters – An urgent message regarding Raoul pops up on PD David Rathband’s (Dan Skinner) inbox.

After deciding to return home after a night out, Chris and Sam profess to love each other. They have a nightcap with Lesley and Suzie before leaving for his place. Raoul approaches from behind. Chris steps in front of Sam as Raoul fires his weapon. A frantic Sam flees into Suzie’s flat. She tells them Raoul shot Chris. Lesley calls the police while Raoul fires off several more rounds. Sam looks out when he fires a shot through the window. She collapses on the floor.

Detective Inspector Nisha Roberts (Vineeta Rishi) is on the scene when Sam is loaded into an ambulance. A helicopter patrols above. She asks a distraught Suzie if she knows Raoul. Suzie suggests Sam’s stepfather, Paul has an address for him. Nisha asks which direction he took. Suzie says possibly the car park.

Beckie Brown (Sophie Wise) and Sally Brown (Angela Bain) dress for a birthday party when Sergeant Malcolm Wright (Nicholas A. Newman) knocks on the door. He informs them of Chris suffering a fatal gunshot wound.

Nisha tells DCS Neil Adamson (Lee Ingleby) that Raoul utilized a sawed-off shotgun to shoot Chris and Sam. He says Raoul did what he set out to do so he’s still in the close vicinity.

Newcastle Chronicle crime reporter, Diane Barnwell (Sonya Cassidy) asks the Editor Matt (Neil Grainger) why the name Raoul Moat is familiar. Matt says they did a story about him assaulting a child. Upon arriving at the scene, she meets Nisha who suggests Raoul isn’t a danger to the public. Diane questions if Raoul spent time in HMP Durham for assaulting a minor. She says a recently-released violent offender is the shooter. Nisha assures her the police are utilizing all their resources to locate Raoul as soon as possible.

Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Steve Neill (Gavin O’Connor) and his team carry out a search at Raoul’s flat. An officer says shotgun shells repacked with lead weights deliver maximum damage. The police are not calling the shooting a “random attack.” Temporary Chief Constable Sue Sim (Gemma Page) informs Neill that HMP Durham sent a SIR with a violent threat for Raoul on the morning after his release. The FIB didn’t get Raoul’s SIR until late Friday. She says since it is a weekend event, the press is low.

Dozens of sightings of Raoul are reported to the police. He visits Rory Sutcliffe (Dale Meeks).

Saturday, July 3, 2010 – The detectives receive a list of names associated with a phone from the crime scene. Sutcliffe reports Raoul’s visit to the police.

Lesley tells Nisha that Raoul had “roid rage.” He was quick to apologize with flowers. Nisha asks if Sam reported the abuse. Lesley questions why he was released after only four months. The surgeon (Matthew Bates) tells her Sam’s injuries were serious but she is in stable condition. Sam admits to lying to Raoul about Chris being a police officer.

Sutcliffe tells Neill that Raoul took his phone. He denies seeing a weapon. He warns Raoul’s next target is the police.

Neill describes the shooting as a “stone-cold execution” when an alert comes in that Raoul is on the phone with the call center. He tells the representative that Sam has been cheating on him. He claims to have shot Chris because he was a police officer. He alleges years of police harassment before threatening to kill anyone who comes near him. He threatens to kill his two hostages. He is on the hunt for cops. PC David Rathband is on his phone when Raoul fires a shot through the passenger side window. He asks the police if they’re taking him seriously now. The episode ends.

 

The Hunt For Raoul Moat Synopsis

Sam starts dating Chris but fails to tell him about her violent ex. Raoul Moat continues to harass her behind bars. She visits the prison two weeks before his release to ask him to leave her alone. He doesn’t take it well when she tells him about her new beau, a police officer (Chris isn’t a cop, she thought it would discourage him from harassing them). A prison guard monitoring them sees Raoul start to assault her but changes his mind. The guard later documents Raoul’s threats in his discharge report.

Jody Wills with HMP Durham discovers Raoul’s SIR hasn’t been actioned. It lands in PD Rathband’s inbox at 4:16pm Friday when the office is closed. Later that night, Raoul starts his shooting spree by killing Chris and severely injuring Sam. The police believe he accomplished what he set out to do so the public isn’t in danger.

Raoul stops by Sutcliffe’s flat to get his phone. He calls into the call center to explain why he shot Sam and Chris. He claimed to have killed Chris because he was a cop. After alleging years of harassment from the police, he identifies them as his next target. PC Rathband is shot when he least expected it.

The Hunt For Raoul Moat Review

Let’s start by saying, the review doesn’t touch on the actual event, only the aspects of the show.

Hopefully, this is not a true portrayal of the police response to the Raoul Moat shooting spree. The show portrays the police as lackadaisical with more concern directed at the press than the actual shooting. Public safety was barely considered since Moat succeeded in killing Chris and injuring Sam.

According to Wikipedia, IPCC conducted an investigation of Moat’s death, not the manhunt which was supposedly the largest in British history.

The cinematography and editing are typical of ITV. The show doesn’t provide a smooth-flowing chronological timeline of the events. The story is disjointed and confusing due to the continuous jump cuts from scene to scene. It’s difficult to identify the characters and putting the story together is nearly impossible.

The episode deserves a 6. Get more The Hunt for Raoul Moat recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Utilize our onsite advertising to build online awareness for your brand.

 

The Hunt For Raoul Moat Cast

• Raoul Moat (Matt Stokoe)
• DCS Neil Adamson (Lee Ingleby)
• Samantha “Sam” Stobbart (Sally Messham)
• Christopher Brown (Josef Davis)
• Suzie Clarke (Jessica Johnson)
• Lesley Stobbart (Gina Murray)
• Diane Barnwell (Sonya Cassidy)
• Nisha Roberts (Vineta Rishi)
• PC David Rathband (Dan Skinner)
• Beckie Brown (Sophie Wise)
• Sally Brown (Angela Bain)
• Kath Rathband (Clare Corbett)
• Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Steve Neill (Gavin O’Connor)
• Robbo (Mark Stobbart)
• PC Debbi (Elena Gyasi)
• Newcastle Chronicle Editor Matt (Neil Grainger)
• Qhuram Awan (Anand Toora)
• Karl Ness (Joe Blakemore)

Where To Watch The Hunt For Raoul Moat

The Hunt for Raoul Moat, directed by Gareth Bryn, premiered on Sunday, April 16, 2023, on ITV.

Where Was The Hunt For Raoul Moat Filmed

Filming locations include the Allerton village of Bradford, the town of Wetherby in North East Leeds, and Yorkshire.