PC Rathband played dead during Moat ordeal

PC David Rathband, who was shot in the face and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat last year, said he tried to stop himself from breathing and “play dead”, a court has heard.

PC Rathband, 42, was giving evidence at Newcastle Crown Court in the trial of Karl Ness, 26, and Qhuram Awan, 23 – both have been accused of helping Moat carry out his crimes.

The Northumbria Police officer was shot twice – in the face and in his left shoulder – through the window of his marked police car in Newcastle last July.

Giving evidence, he said: “As I lay in the car, I realised I just had to lie there and literally play dead because it was quite clear Moat wanted me dead.”

He added: “He shot me in the middle of my eyes and the second shot was to finish me off.

“So I tried to stop myself breathing because I was making lots of rasping noises because of the amount of blood that was spraying out and that was going down my throat.

“It felt like a lifetime but in reality it was probably a few seconds.”

He was shot on July 3 after parking at the junction of the A1 and A69.

Moat had been on the run after shooting his former partner Samantha Stobbart, and killing her new boyfriend Chris Brown, 29.

Moat died after a six-hour stand-off in Rothbury, Northumberland, with armed officers.

Mr Ness, a former employee of Moat, denies the murder of Chris Brown, attempting to murder
PC Rathband, one charge of conspiracy to murder, one charge of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and one of robbing a shop.

Mr Awan, of Rowley Street in Blyth, Northumberland, denies the attempted murder of Pc Rathband, one charge of conspiracy to murder, one charge of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and one of robbing a shop.

The trial continues.