Raoul Moat fans send death threats to Facebook group creators
Jul 21 2010 by Sophie Doughty, The Journal
DEATH threats have been sent to the creators of online groups paying tribute to the victims of Raoul Moat.
A Facebook group entitled “Sam Chris and PC Rathband” has now been removed from the social networking site after the woman who set it up received threatening messages from supporters of the self-confessed killer.
There are currently several Facebook groups where people can leave messages of support for those affected by Moat’s gun rampage.
Pages set up in honour of PC David Rathband, 42, who was blinded when Moat blasted him through the window of his patrol car with a shotgun, now have more than 18,000 members.
But offensive messages have also been posted on the tribute pages, including one saying: “The next bullet is yours.”
One Facebook user from Newcastle, who did not want to be named said: “One of the pages called ‘Sam Chris PC Rathband’ had to be pulled yesterday by the creator due to threats being made to her personally.
“And there were a couple of threats towards David.
“Other groups that I manage have full support of over 18,000 people from all places in the country and even overseas.
“I guess out of all the thousands of good people we were bound to see a handful of spiteful people.”
Raoul Moat went on the run after shooting his former girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, 22, and killing her new boyfriend Chris Brown, 29, in Birtley, Gateshead, earlier this month.
Less than 24 hours later he crept up on PC David Rathband and blasted him through the window of his patrol car with a shotgun.
The attack at the roundabout between the A1 and the A69 in Newcastle left the traffic officer blind.
Moat fled the scene, sparking the biggest manhunt Northumbria Police has ever seen. It was six days before officers cornered him in Rothbury, where he killed himself.
Yesterday four more people were arrested in connection with the inquiry, bringing the total of those questioned on suspicion of helping Moat to 20. One man and one woman were arrested in Blyth and one man and one woman in Newcastle.
All four were last night being questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender.
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