Secret recordings reaveal Raoul Moat paranoia

Jul 18 2010 by Sophie Doughty, Sunday Sun

EXCITEDLY taking his family on an outing Raoul Moat sounds every inch the devoted dad.

Just eight months before his gun rampage made him one of Britain’s most notorious murderers, the proud father and his girlfriend Samantha Stobbart were all smiles and laughter as they took their little girl to meet Moat’s daughter from a previous relationship.

But bizarrely every second of this seemingly everyday family scene was being taped by Moat, who was wired-up with a secret microphone.

Hours of secret tapes recorded by the gunman reveal a true sense of his warped paranoia.

The crazed killer recorded everything from telephone calls to police to meetings with his children.

And his taped ramblings give a glimpse into the paranoid obsession that Northumbria Police was trying to stitch him up, which led to him declaring war on the force two weeks ago and blasting one of its officers in the face with a shotgun.

The 50 hours of recordings also reveal a softer image of Raoul Moat.

As just months before he seriously injured Samantha by blasting her in the stomach with a shotgun, the couple playfully laugh with Moat’s daughter, delivering presents including sweets and lip gloss.

Moat speaks into the mic to say where they are going before adding; “When I eventually get these wires in my pants, pile of chaos.”

And then says to Samantha: “Do you want me to carry the bairn?”

There is the sound of laughter and Moat hugs his daughter saying; “What a good girl.”