Monkseaton mourns victim of gunman Robert Sartin

Apr 26 2009 by Rob Pattinson, Sunday Sun

A COMMUNITY will come to a standstill this week to remember a family man who was murdered as he made his way home from a Sunday morning service at church.

It is 20 years since Robert Sartin stalked the streets with his father’s gun, executing Ken Mackintosh and gunning down 14 others, shattering the peace and security of all in the quiet seaside community of Monkseaton, North Tyneside.

Local man Roger Scott remembers the day clearly. He heard the shots ring-out from his garden, and saw Mr Mackintosh’s body still lying in the road. He, like all other parents, feared for the safety of his children.

Now dividing his time between France and his Somerset home, he has revealed to the Sunday Sun his wish he had not been there.

The former Daily Mail reporter said: “I was in the back garden because it was my day off.

“My next-door-neighbour was passing me some rhubarb over the fence when we heard this cracking noise. I said, ‘either it’s some scaffolding collapsing or a gun’. Then we heard the ambulance.

“It had come from just round the corner so I started wandering round. It took me about three minutes to get to the street and I just saw the body lying on the pavement.

“There were two policemen, but they weren’t near the body and it looked like someone had placed a blanket over him.

“I could see the wounded being helped into ambulances. It was actually quite a chaotic scene.

“Of course I was marshalling my thoughts. My first concern was where are my children? Where are my two daughters? I knew they were out somewhere with a family friend, but I didn’t know where.

“The Hungerford shootings were still fresh in my mind, so that struck a chord with me. The number of injured made me think, ‘is someone walking around with a gun?’ We didn’t know what was happening at the time.

“My own wellbeing didn’t even occur to me. My work instincts kicked in and I spoke to one of the policeman, but they didn’t know how to deal with me, they weren’t used to a journalist being there as an incident was unfolding.