Meet the cast of The Hunt for Raoul Moat
Where have you seen them before?
In 2010, former nightclub bouncer Raoul Moat embarked upon a murderous rampage just two days after being released from prison, shooting his ex-partner, murdering her new boyfriend and blinding a police officer.
After a week-long manhunt across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, Moat was eventually tracked down and, after a tense stand-off that lasted more than six hours, turned his gun on himself.
Now, the horrific crimes of Moat are being dramatised in new ITV true crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which stars Matt Stokoe as the criminal.
Alongside Moat, there are several key figures involved in the real-life events who are also depicted in this retelling, including Christopher Brown, Samantha Stobbart and PC David Rathband.
Read on for a rundown of The Hunt for Raoul Moat cast.
The Hunt for Raoul Moat cast
The main cast of The Hunt for Raoul Moat is as follows.
- Sally Messham as Samantha Stobbart
- Matt Stokoe as Raoul Moat
- Josef Davis as Christopher Brown
- Lee Ingleby as Neil Adamson
- Sonya Cassidy as Diane Barnwell
- Vineeta Rishi as Nisha Roberts
For more about the cast of The Hunt for Raoul Moat, read on...
Josef Davis plays Christopher Brown
Who is Christopher Brown? Samantha's new boyfriend, who was a karate instructor. The pair had only been dating for a few weeks before Moat shot and killed the 29-year-old. Samantha had told Moat that Chris was a police officer in the hope that it would ward him off, but it intensified his rage.
"I can’t put my finger on why Chris was forgotten by most people," said Messham. "Josef Davies, who portrays Chris, does an amazing job of not trying to paint him as just the nice guy that gets killed. There was so much more to Chris than that. If there wasn't then I don't think Samantha would have fallen in love with him that quickly."
Where have I seen Josef Davis before? Fans of Young Wallander on Netflix will recognise him as Soren.
Sally Messham plays Samantha Stobbart
Who is Samantha Stobbart? Raoul Moat's ex-girlfriend – he is the biological father of her child. They met in 2004 and were on and off for six years, with Moat subjecting Samantha to abuse during their time together. While Moat was in prison, Samantha met someone else. When Moat found out, he went on a rampage and shot 22-year-old Samantha, who almost died from her injuries. He also shot and killed her boyfriend.
Where have I seen Sally Messham before? She's had minor roles in BBC drama Sherwood, ITV's Doc Martin and BBC drama The Miniaturist.
Matt Stokoe plays Raoul Moat
Who is Raoul Moat? A former nightclub bouncer and bodybuilder who shot his former girlfriend Samantha twice and murdered her boyfriend Chris just days after he was released from prison for assaulting a family member. The 37-year-old then went on the run after the attack, during which time he shot and blinded a police officer. Following a standoff with the police, he killed himself.
"The fear was, having seen first-hand the different interpretations of his actions, especially in the north east where people know a lot more about him and are more clued up on what happened… I didn't want to be seen as giving some kind of sympathetic slant to his behaviour by virtue of playing him," said actor Matt Stokoe. "I wanted to do it in a detached way and try and give a realistic depiction of him."
Where have I seen Matt Stokoe before? You might have watched him in sci-fi series Misfits, BBC drama The Village, action-drama The Musketeers and Sky's Jamestown.
Sonya Cassidy plays Diane Barnwell
Who is Diane Barnwell? A crime reporter at the Newcastle Chronicle newspaper. "Diane is representative of a member of the press who is not looking for the cheap, quick headline, but someone who was part of this community doing what she could to inform and help in whatever way possible," said Cassidy. "I enjoyed playing someone from the north east and invested in that area. I really admired the character's integrity and what the Newcastle Chronicle newspaper was doing at a time when the national press would just sweep into a story like this and sweep out again."
Where have I seen Sonya Cassidy before? Her CV includes the 2022 remake of The Man Who Fell to Earth, Netflix's The Last Kingdom and comedy-drama Lodge 49.
Vineeta Rishi plays Nisha Roberts
Who is Nisha Roberts? A detective inspector. "My character is based on two or three different police officers," said Rishi. "Nisha wants to do the right thing by everyone, particularly the victims and their families. Early on there were situations when the family of Chris Brown, who was murdered by Moat, were finding out details through the press before the police had time to talk to them. Nisha does become involved in liaising with Chris's mother and sister and we see that relationship throughout the story as the rest of the world forgets about him."
Where have I seen Vineeta Rishi before? Most people will know her from Holby City and Doctors.
Lee Ingleby plays Neil Adamson
Who is Neil Adamson? A senior member of the Northumbria Police Officer who helmed the Moat manhunt. "I spoke to Neil Adamson, who is now retired, and a few other police officers who were involved," said Ingleby. "Neil was the face of the police investigation but I portray an amalgamation of a few people and jobs pulled into one. Otherwise it would be just too confusing a watch to figure out who was doing what."
Where have I seen Lee Ingleby before? He has an extensive CV that includes Luther with Idris Elba, Crossfire with Keeley Hawes, Netflix's Criminal: UK, BBC drama The A Word and crime series Inspector George Gently.
Additional cast members include:
- Jessica Johnson (Wire in the Blood) as Suzie Clarke - Samantha's friend
- Gina Murray (Doctors) as Lesley Stobbart - Samantha's mum
- Angela Bain (The Larkins) as Sally Brown - Chris's mum
- Sophie Wise (Hollyoaks) as Beckie Brown - Chris's sister
- Dan Skinner (Yonderland) as David Rathband - a police officer who was shot and blinded by Moat. He later took his own life.
- Clare Corbett (Emmerdale) as Kath Rathband - David's wife
- Gavin O'Connor (Galactik Football) as Steve Neill - Northumbria Police's Chief Superintendent
- Mark Stobbart (Line of Duty) as Robbo - firearms officer
- Elèna Gyasi (Hollington Drive) as PC Debbie
- Bill Ward (Emmerdale, Coronation Street) as Mike Anderson, Gemma Page as Sue Sim and Joanna Horton (Treason) as Penny Andrews - also part of the team responsible for catching Moat
- Neil Grainger (Crossroads) as Matt - Newcastle Chronicle editor
- Joe Blakemore (The Third Day) as Karl Ness and Anand Toora as Qhuram Awan - Moat's accomplices
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The Hunt for Raoul Moat begins airing on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 16th April. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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