GUNMAN RAOUL MOAT DIED FROM SHOTS FROM HIS WEAPON
Gunman Raoul Moat died from gunshot wounds consistent with a weapon he was carrying, the BBC has learned.
Moat, 37, died after a stand-off with police in Rothbury, Northumberland, following a week-long manhunt.
He is suspected of shooting a police officer and his ex-girlfriend, and murdering her partner.
A relative of Moat who has seen post-mortem results told the BBC there was no mention of marks on his body from Taser stun guns police fired at him.
There were, however, marks consistent with “rough living”, the family member revealed.
The family is now discussing whether to ask for a second independent post-mortem examination.
Two Tasers were fired at Moat, the IPCC confirmed
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Prayers will be said for those affected by the week's events at Sunday church services in Rothbury, a town which has been the focus of intense police and media attention for the past week.
Peter Hindle, lay minister of All Saints Church, said: “We will be particularly focusing on the needs the community has to get over the events of the past week.
“Also, to give thanks for the immense amount of support and love and care from the people who have come to Rothbury and others from around the country who have been thinking of us.
“It is not a pleasant experience to have your local community disturbed in this way. But everyone felt very confident in the support and protection we got from the police.”
Moat is thought to have shot himself after officers cornered him by a river in Rothbury on Friday evening.
He had been on the run for a week after allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart and killing her new partner, Chris Brown.
The attacks took place in the Scafell area of Birtley, near Gateshead, in the early hours of Saturday 3 July.
Prison warning
The following night Moat is alleged to have shot Pc David Rathband as he sat in his patrol car in East Denton, near Newcastle.
Armed officers descended on Rothbury on Tuesday following the discovery of a Lexus car that Moat was believed to have been driving, then finally cornered him alongside the River Coquet on Friday evening.
The former nightclub bouncer was pronounced dead at the city's General Hospital at 0220 BST on Saturday, an hour after the stand-off ended.
Bouquets of flowers have been left outside Moat's home in the Fenham area of Newcastle.
Northumbria Police Temporary Chief Constable Sue Sim said officers had “discharged Taser” at Moat, but no gunshots were fired by police. It was later confirmed two Tasers had been fired.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is conducting two investigations.
Tributes have been left outside Moat's home
The first is over a warning given to Northumbria Police by Durham Prison that Moat, who was released from a jail term on 1 July, had threatened Ms Stobbart.
The second relates to the police investigation and circumstances surrounding Moat's death.
IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: “We will be examining whether correct procedures were followed by Northumbria Police and the detail of how this incident came to a conclusion.
“A full investigation will now be carried out and we will publish our findings in due course so that there is a public account answering the many questions that people will have.”
The IPCC report and the post-mortem findings will both be sent to the coroner who will hold an inquest into the death at a later date.
'Heinous thing'
Moat's uncle, Charles Alexander, said he felt there was a question mark over his nephew's death and told the BBC he had offered to help the police negotiate Moat's surrender.
Mr Alexander said: “I think it was about 11pm when they said they were having a regular rapport with him, the negotiators, and he'd accepted food and drink.
“In my experience that means he's stopped and he's thinking about giving himself up. It just didn't happen.
“I rang up at 11pm and said that if they sent a car I would go up and talk to him and bring him back to their lines.
“They just said they'd get back to me but nobody came back to me at all.
“I know he's done a terrible, heinous thing… but I don't think he was a threat to the public. At the time he was more of a threat to himself.”
The Chairman of Northumbria Police Authority, Councillor Mick Henry, said he believed the search for Moat could not have been better conducted.
He said: “I think it's fair to say when an incident of this scale which is unknown… in our force area, you'd be very, very surprised if someone, somewhere didn't have criticisms whether they were valid or not.”
Mr Henry added he has “every confidence in the chief constable and her command team”.