Samantha Stobbart's family speak about Raoul Moat

Jul 5 2010 by Kerry Wood, The Journal

RELATIVES of shooting victim Samantha Stobbart have told how jealous former partner Raoul Moat had warned that "if he couldn't have her, no one could".

It is believed Samantha’s latest attempt to leave the 37-year-old bodybuilder could have tipped him into a revenge-fuelled rage which led to a shotgun attack on a Gateshead estate in the early hours of Saturday morning.

With suspected gunman Moat still on the run, Samantha’s half-sister Kelly, 27 and grandmother Ann Hornsby, 69, say they are living in fear until the man the family “never liked” is caught.

Holed up at her grandmother’s home in Gateshead yesterday, Kelly told The Journal: “I’m worried he’ll take revenge on the rest of the family. In the past my Nan has stood up to him and told him what she thinks of him.

“In the past we didn’t know just what he was capable of, now he has proved what he will do.

“He’d always say if he couldn’t have Sam, no one could and this is obviously what he meant. Our mum Lesley is with her at the hospital and I’ve heard she has come off the life support machine and has spoken.

“I didn’t even know he’d been released from prison and the next thing I know Sam has been shot.”

Moat was freed from Durham Prison last Thursday having been behind bars for assault. Less than 48 hours later, it is alleged, he had hunted Samantha down to an address near her mother’s home in Scafell, Birtley, Gateshead, and gunned down his ex-lover and the man she was with, named as 29-year-old Chris Brown.

Described by her family as “a violent man” who was pumped full of steroids and prone to rages, Moat first met Sam, 22, six years ago when he worked as a bouncer at Newcastle’s Bigg Market bar and club Liquid.

Concerned Kelly and Ann say they tried to warn Samantha to end the on-off relationship which was marred by violence.

Kelly added: “It was not a good relationship, there was lots of domestic violence and Sam left him quite a few times bit always went back to him.

“When she was in a relationship with him, we didn’t see much of her. He was horrible and very controlling. I never liked him. He was violent, taking steroids and going on rampages.

“Sam thought he was the bees knees. Her problem was that she could not see above Raoul’s chest. He’s all muscles, rippling biceps, six pack.”