Moat Inquest: Taser Had No Effect

14 September 2011, 14:59 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A police officer who shot cornered killer Raoul Moat in the chest with a Taser told an inquest the cartridge had no effect.

The wanted murderer had told police negotiators 'this is all going to end in this field tonight', the jury at Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The West Yorkshire Police officer named only as Zulu 24 had been called to the grassy area by the River Coquet in Rothbury, Northumberland, to relieve other armed officers who had been containing Moat for several hours.

A huge manhunt had been launched after Moat shot his ex-girlfriend Sam Stobbart, murdered her new boyfriend Chris Brown, 29, and later blinded Pc David Rathband.

During the stand-off negotiators developed a good rapport with Moat, Zulu 24 said.

The man who declared war on police even told them where he had hidden a gun in woods as he did not want a child to find it, the officer said.

But the tone of negotiations changed, and the officer said:

'Moat went on to say he didn't want to be a drain on society, that he didn't want to go to jail and one particular thing he did say was it was all going to end in this field tonight.''

Moat shuffled his feet, and in a swift movement brought the gun from under his chin and pointed it at his temple, the officer said.

'I thought he was going to shoot himself.'

Zulu 24, who was aiming an experimental X12 shotgun at Moat's chest, fired.

He said: 'Moat let out a noise as if he had been struck by something. He has then rocked back slowly and then discharged the shotgun.

'I was aware my round had struck him. I don't think it had any effect.'

He said when he fired an X26 handgun-style Taser previously, it had made a loud, crackling noise, but that did not happen with the X12.

Coroner David Mitford asked: 'Was there any effect on Mr Moat?'

'None whatsoever, sir,' the witness replied.

It was the first time the officer had fired an X12, and he had received five minutes training on it that evening.

But it operated the same as a normal shotgun, the officer said.

The jury has heard two Taser cartridges were fired but this witness was only aware of his own shot.

The officer's superior, a sergeant identified only as Tango 21, earlier told the court he heard the 'pop' of a Taser from the police line to his left hand side, then 'a second or two' later saw the X12 armed officer beside him fire his Taser.

He said:

'Moat let out a yelp as if he had been struck by something.

'I started to move towards the front of the vehicle and as I did this I heard a bang from Mr Moat's position and I saw his head rock violently to the left hand side.

'Then he fell back into the long grass.'

Moat's body was pulled clear of the long grass by police officers and paramedics.

The officer said: 'He had blood splattered across his face. His eyes were open but his eyeballs had rolled back.

'My overriding feeling was one of sadness that because of Moat's actions we had not been able to bring him to justice and bring him to court for what he was suspected of.'

He said each of the two firearms officers had fired their X12 Taser once.

He was asked whether being hit by a Taser round could have caused Moat to shoot himself by accident as a result of his muscles contracting on the shotgun trigger.

He said there was 'a clear pause' between the sound of the Taser shots and Moat flinching and the gunman shooting himself.