THE HUNT FOR RAOUL MOAT: FIRST LOOK IMAGES FROM NEW ITV CRIME DRAMA

The Hunt For Raoul Moat shines a light on the human tragedies that lay behind Britain’s biggest manhunt, told through the eyes of those who sought to bring a violent killer to justice.

The drama focuses on the innocent victims of Moat’s crimes - Christopher Brown, Samantha Stobbart and PC David Rathband; the police officers who put themselves in the firing line in their quest to apprehend Moat; and the local journalist who sought to tell Moat’s real story in a landscape of sensationalist reporting and social media provocation.

Lee Ingleby plays Neil Adamson, a senior Northumbria Police Officer leading the race against time to apprehend Moat, Sonya Cassidy as local journalist Diane Barnwell, Vineeta Rishi as Nisha Roberts, Sally Messham as Samantha Stobbart, Matt Stokoe as Raoul Moat and Josef Davis as Christopher Brown.

The Hunt for Raoul Moat begins with Moat’s ex-partner Samantha piecing her life back together following Moat’s imprisonment for an assault. He is then released from HMP Durham after serving a four-month sentence. Sam has a new boyfriend, Chris, and she is terrified of Moat’s return.

Despite making serious threats against Sam from inside prison, the former Newcastle doorman is hellbent on rekindling their relationship. When he realises that isn’t going to happen, Moat equips himself with a shotgun to confront Sam and her new partner.

Kevin Sampson: “The hunt for Raoul Moat gripped me from the start, as it was the first such case to be covered ‘live’ by the new 24-hour news channels in the UK. Even then, it interested me that Moat was being portrayed by some as a ‘legend’ in spite of the brutality of his crimes. In 2022, violence against women remains rife and is all too often accompanied by a victim-blaming agenda. I hope this drama will go some way to condemning this narrative.”

Commented Simon Heath and Jake Lushington on behalf of World Productions:

“Kevin has written a compelling and unflinching account of these shocking events which highlights the human tragedy behind the lurid headlines. The drama is a timely reminder of how social media and fake news can create a dangerous myth, in this case that Raoul Moat was any kind of hero.”

Commented ITV's Polly Hill: “The Hunt for Raoul Moat shines a light on the human tragedies behind the true story of Britain's biggest ever manhunt to apprehend a violent killer. Following on from his success with Anne earlier this year, Kevin Sampson's scripts are once again insightful and compelling. Equally, the World Productions team are brilliant and they've set the bar extremely high for true crime drama."

The series is produced in association with, and distributed internationally by, ITV Studios.