Relatives of one of Raoul Moat's victims have slammed ITV for an upcoming drama series set to air on the channel.
Later this month, ITV will debut a new crime drama telling the story of the infamous manhunt of Raoul Moat back in 2010.
For those unaware of the chilling story, Moat made worldwide headlines in July of that year for shooting three people in the space of 24 hours before going on the run for a week.
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The unfortunate people to be caught up in his wicked ways included his ex-partner Samantha Stobbart, her new boyfriend Christopher Brown, and PC David Rathband.
Sadly, Brown died after being shot at close range, while PC Rathband survived being shot twice but took his own life just two years later.
Stobbart was left critically ill after her ex shot her in the stomach, but she did survive the terrible ordeal, with doctors saying that she would have died if her arm did not partly block a shot.
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Moat, on the other hand, shot himself after a stand-off with armed police near Rothbury, Northumberland.
ITV is taking on the challenging storyline in The Hunt for Raoul Moat, with producers who worked on the likes of Line of Duty and Anne involved.
Moat is played by Matt Stokoe, though the series will not touch on Paul Gascoigne's role in events, who made headlines when he arrived in Rothbury to speak to Moat.
While ITV claim The Hunt for Raoul Mount will be one of the biggest drama's this year, some relatives of the victims are far from impressed.
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Speaking to The Mirror, Stobbart's sister Kelly said: "We’re lucky our Sam survived. ITV don’t realise the impact this will have on the people involved.
"It still gives me nightmares and I suffer PTSD.
"I’m so sick of hearing Raoul’s name, and I’m so sick of him being on TV. I hate seeing his face on social media and then having to read all the comments people make about Sam."
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She continued: "I was only made aware of this latest drama when I was tagged in a post the Evening Chronicle shared about it. My whole family and I all feel that it should be left in the past.
“As well as protecting Sam, I have children who weren’t around in 2010. I’m trying to protect them from this. My daughter has just turned 18 and she remembers being taken from our home to the hotel when it all happened.”
Stobbart's older sister also criticised ITV on social media, writing: "It’s always the same, every year they’re trying to make a few quid. Dramas, documentaries. By 2030, it’ll be a film."
In a statement given to LADbible, ITV said: "World Productions contacted all the families affected by Raoul Moat’s crimes."
Topics: TV and Film, UK News, Crime
Callum Jones