Samantha Stobbart strikes up a new romance with Christopher Brown. She is increasingly nervous about her abusive ex-partner, Raoul Moat, being released from prison, where he has been serving a short sentence for assaulting a child. Moat refuses to acknowledge that their relationship is over. Possessive and pathologically jealous, Moat becomes incensed when he learns about Sam's new partner. Upon his release, Moat commits a brutal and violent crime. On the run, Moat has no intention of going quietly and sets his sights on attacking the very police force now hunting him.
Raoul Moat's attack against PC David Rathband has devastating consequences. Moat continues to evade capture. Moat doubles down on his threats against the police via a letter. DCS Adamson and his team turn their attention to the hostages he is believed to be holding. After identifying the car Moat has been travelling in, the police are closing in on Moat's trail. Senior officers grapple to manage the manhunt, amid reports that Moat's release from HMP Durham was mishandled. A police raid on a tent near Rothbury marks progress, but leaves the police frustrated.
The manhunt zeroes in on the small village of Rothbury. Following the discovery that press attention is antagonising Moat, the police request a media blackout. Information comes to light that Raoul Moat has all the survival skills to last for weeks on his own in the woods. The police enlist the help of a survivalist expert, but Moat continues to elude them. An unexpected sighting makes another attack seem imminent and the police are on high alert. After a shocking turn, the police must try to defuse the situation.
It was one of the biggest manhunts in British police history. Raoul Moat's shooting spree left a man murdered, a woman fighting for her life, a police officer blinded - and a community terrorised. Thirteen years on, using interviews with police, victims' relatives, witnesses and with Ray Mears - the survival expert who helped police in their hunt for Moat - Nicky Campbell tells the exclusive inside story of how one of Britain's most notorious killers was tracked down ..all in the glare of 24-hour rolling news.
