Killer Moat apologised to policeman

Moat shot himself after police fired two experimental Taser rounds at him following a six-hour stand-off in Rothbury, Northumberland, in July last year.

He was wanted for blasting ex-lover Samantha Stobbart, killing her new boyfriend Chris Brown, and blinding Pc David Rathband 24 hours later.

The officer, who gave evidence anonymously behind a screen, said he stood only 10 metres (32ft) away from Moat, without a ballistics shield, knowing Moat had declared war on police.

The inquest at Newcastle Crown Court heard the armed officer and his colleague arrived at the riverside to see a man facing away from them, carrying gun.

The officer shouted: “Armed police drop your weapon.”

He said Moat replied: “Shoot me, f****** shoot me.”

If Moat had pointed his shotgun at police, he would have been shot, the officer said.

He calmed down when he realised the officers were from West Yorkshire, the witness said. “The tone of voice changed and I seem to recall he actually apologised and recognised we had different accents,” he told coroner David Mitford.

The first officers talked to Moat for around 25 minutes until trained negotiators took over.

The officer stayed at the scene from around 7.15pm to shortly before 1am, enduring heavy rain and midges.

Moat blasted himself at around 1.15am, after the officer had left.

The hearing continues.