When tragedy strikes, the aftermath can have life-altering consequences that are impossible to predict. For one woman, having a child with a killer changed the course of her life forever. But now, she’s faced with another challenge: the controversial decision by ITV to portray the gunman in a positive light, despite the devastation he caused. In this article, we explore the real-life impact of the recent ITV series and its impact on those directly affected by the tragedy.
Caroline Dodd, the mother of the late Raoul Moat’s eldest child, has condemned the upcoming ITV drama, The Hunt for Raoul Moat, for glorifying the crimes of the notorious gunman. Moat’s rampage saw one individual killed and two severely injured during a two-day spree in 2010. Dodd fears the three-part series will throw Moat back into the limelight, providing him with a level of posthumous adulation that he would have enjoyed. She and her daughter had to go into hiding while Moat was on the loose due to the killer’s threats to harm both of them. Dodd states that Moat was violent, scary and aggressive, abusive to her and many other partners, and that he should never be seen as a role model.
The series documents the search for Moat, one of the largest manhunts in UK history, following him shooting his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, and then murdering lover Chris Brown, whom he thought was a policeman. Less than 24 hours later, the shotgun-wielding killer shot PC David Rathband point-blank in the face, blinding him. The manhunt lasted a week before Moat finally cornered himself and shot himself in the head in Rothbury, Northumberland.
Dodd reveals that she had been in a relationship with Moat for a year and had endured extensive abuse from him. He beat her in front of friends, and once dragged her up the stairs by her hair after she refused to perform a sex act on him. Dodd was close to Moat when he went on his killing spree, saying that “it could have been me.” She had an injunction against him due to abuse that interfered with his bouncer job, and only discovered after being taken into protective custody that she had been close to him when on the run.
Over a decade on, the mother is still traumatised by the abuse she received and suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Even seeing someone who resembled Moat in 2018 caused her to have a panic attack. The upcoming series will cause her further distress, according to Dodd, as it perpetuates a myth that Moat was something of a hero. Dodd hopes that the documentary will instead focus on Moat’s mental health issues and encourage people to seek help.
Gun violence has been prevalent in the UK for decades. Mass shootings like those in the US are rare, but gun crime is nonetheless a persistent problem. There are an estimated 1.3 million guns in circulation in the UK, and with a steady rise in violence over recent years, calls for changes to firearms laws in the country have increased. One high-profile incident that drew attention to gun crime in the UK was the Dunblane massacre of 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton entered Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and shot 16 children and one teacher before killing himself. Berwick-upon-Tweed MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan has encouraged the government to take action regarding the smuggling of guns into the country, which she says is a growing trend. Trevelyan commented that weapons often become available to those who might have motivations to use them.
The documentary will likely cause further debate around gun control laws in the country. Dodd, however, has been focused on raising awareness about domestic abuse and speaking out against the glorification of Moat’s heinous crimes. The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which airs on ITV from 16 April, will undoubtedly provoke strong reactions on both sides of the debate but Dodd hopes the lasting legacy will be that society will learn lessons from Moat’s violent actions.
As the tears dry and the emotions fade, it’s easy to forget the true impact that individuals like the gunman have on the lives they shatter. While our society may be fascinated with the characters we see on our screens, we mustn’t forget the real people whose lives they affect. Those like myself, who have been forced to rebuild and heal while being haunted by the memories of tragedy.
It’s disheartening to see networks like ITV glorifying a figure that has caused so much pain and suffering. We can only hope that, in time, the focus will shift to celebrating the resilience and strength of those directly impacted by the actions of these individuals.
As for those of us who have lived through the unimaginable, we must continue to push forward with our heads held high. We must refuse to be defined by the darkness of our past and instead choose to be a beacon of hope for others who may find themselves walking a similar path. Together, we can unite in our struggles and triumphs, showing the world that no amount of darkness can ever truly snuff out the light of those whose lives have been forever changed.
