Catherine Lee
BBC News online

A High Court judge has ruled the family of PC David Rathband, the officer shot and blinded by Raoul Moat, is not entitled to compensation from Northumbria Police.

In the wake of the verdict, I've been looking at the troubled life of the policeman.  

In an interview with the BBC's Disability Affairs correspondent Peter White in 2011, Mr Rathband said he was impatient with having to relearn how to do things that had come so easily to him before he was shot.

"I do feel vulnerable and I'm sure other blind people do," Mr Rathband said. "It's not very nice, I don't like it."

The family of PC David Rathband has lost a High Court negligence claim against Northumbria Police.

In a statement after the judgement - Northumbria Police Chief Constable Steve Ashman said: "This has been a sad and difficult case for all concerned.

"It was a tragic incident which occurred five-and-a-half years ago and our thoughts have always been with David and his immediate family.

"Moat's actions created an unprecedented situation for Northumbria Police but the Judge has recognised that operational officers have to make high pressure, complex decisions in tight time."

Jeff Brown
BBC Look North

The family of David Rathband, the traffic policeman who was shot on duty by gunman Raoul Moat, are facing a legal bill of £100,000 after losing their High Court negligence claim against Northumbria Police. 

PC Rathband's family claimed he would not have been shot if officers had been warned that Moat had made a specific threat to target them. 

Watch Damian O'Neil's report on BBC One at 13:30.

Raoul Moat shot dead Chris Brown, the 29-year-old boyfriend of his former partner Samantha Stobbart on 3 July 2010 in Birtley, Gateshead.

He then shot her twice before fleeing, and hours later attacked PC Rathband as the officer sat in his patrol car.

Image source, PA

Northumbria Police led a huge manhunt for Moat and eventually cornered him in Rothbury in Northumberland on 9 July.

After a six-hour stand off Moat killed himself.

The judge said Supt Jo Farrell, who was the senior officer in the control room, had little time to issue an immediate warning, and had she done so it could have caused public protection issues throughout the force area, during a busy period of the week.

"There was no guidance in any manual on which she could draw," he said.

In fact, Superintendent Farrell had only three-and-a-half minutes in which to issue a warning to officers before PC Rathband was shot, as the information in Moat's 999 call was relayed to her in two messages from a junior, the judge said.

That would not have been long enough to avert the shooting, in all probability, the judge found.

Even if there had been a duty of care owed, Mr Justice Males found Superintendent Farrell was not negligent.

Former Northumbria Chief Constable Sue Sim, who was in charge of the force at the time of the Raoul Moat shootings, said the shootings had been a "testing" time for both the police and public.

Northumbria Police says it is "content" after the family of PC David Rathband lost a High Court negligence claim against the force.

A statement from Northumbria Police says: "To protect the public was the primary role of the police commander that night.

"The judge, following detailed scrutiny of the events of that night, over a two week period, has stated that it was emphatically clear that PC Rathband had not been let down by Northumbria Police. "We continue to wish David's family the best for the future and David will always remain in the heart of Northumbria Police."

A High Court judge has ruled the family of PC David Rathband, the officer shot and blinded by Raoul Moat, is not entitled to compensation from Northumbria Police.

In the wake of the verdict, BBC News looks at the troubled life of the officer. Read the full story here.

Image source, PA

Mr Rathband had proclaimed himself lucky to be alive after being blasted twice in the face as he sat in his patrol car in Newcastle in July 2010, and threw himself into charity work.

Yet within two years he was dead, having taken his own life at the age of 44. In an interview with the BBC's Disability Affairs correspondent Peter White in 2011, Mr Rathband said he was impatient with having to relearn how to do things that had come so easily to him before he was shot. 

The father of two said being shot had also changed the way he thought about himself.  

In a statement, the family had a message for David himself.

PC Rathband's family argued that the officer had been left in "harm's way" as he was on his own and parked in a prominent spot.

He began the civil action before he took his own life in 2012, and it was continued by his brother and sister, Darren and Debbie.

However Northumbria Police defended its response, saying attempts were being made to pinpoint the gunman's exact position.

The family of PC David Rathband accuse Northumbria Police of "arrogance and insensitivity" in statement outside court after losing their negligence case.

They insist mistakes were made and have thanked those who supported the family.

Here's the statement in full:

PC Rathband survived the 2010 attack by gunman Raoul Moat, but was blinded in both eyes.

His family claims the force should have done more to alert PC Rathband to the danger posed by Moat.

Mr Justice Males accepted PC Rathband’s account given in his witness statement although says "his criticisms of the police and his evidence about what he would have done if a warning had been issued are inevitably affected to some extent not only by hindsight but also by anger as a result of his view that he had been let down by those responsible."

The High Court judge said PC Rathband family's negligence case was an "immensely sad case" but ruled it failed.

Mr Justice Males described Moat as a "resourceful and determined criminal".

He said: "Regardless of the issue of any warning to be vigilant, PC Rathband’s bleak assessment was probably right.

"He was desperately unlucky to be the victim of Moat’s cruelty and hatred, but if it had not been him, it would probably have been somebody else."

The family of PC David Rathband has been ordered to pay £100,000 as an interim payment to cover court costs after losing their negligence claim against Northumbria Police.

PC Rathband was shot in the face by Raoul Moat in Newcastle in 2010 just minutes after Moat had phoned 999 to say he was hunting for police.

His brother and sister said the force should have warned its officers they were in danger, but Northumbria Police defended its actions.

Relatives of PC David Rathband, who was shot and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat, have lost a compensation case against Northumbria Police.

The officer was blasted in the face in July 2010, minutes after the gunman had threatened to target officers.

Image source, Getty Images

The case, claiming the force should have issued an immediate warning to those on patrol, was begun by PC Rathband before he took his own life in 2012.

Relatives of PC David Rathband, who was shot and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat, have lost a compensation case against Northumbria Police.  

The official opening is taking place today of a £21m centre for sporting excellence in Northumberland.

The Ashington Leisure Centre is one part of a £70m five-year regeneration plan for the town.

The leisure facilities are being described as a flagship development to promote sports across the area.

Sport England are backing it and they put £1m towards it. The other £20m came from Northumberland County Council.

Luke Walton
BBC Look North

A new academy for more than 1,000 pupils has been approved in Newcastle.

Gosforth Federated Academies Ltd is set to open a school for 1,200 nine to 16 year olds in the Great Park area in Gosforth.

It'll be centered around the core skills of English, mathematics, science, PE and PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education).

It's one of 22 free schools which have been approved by the Department for Education today.

The Gazette
Newspaper

Here's today's front page and a link to the top story, external:

Image source, The Gazette

Colin Briggs
Look North

More than 10,500 new homes have been built or developed in places that could flood, according to expert analysis of planning data for the North East and Cumbria.

More than 4,500 of these were at the top end in areas considered to be at high or medium risk of flooding.

The data - for the period 2001 to 2014 - comes from the Committee on Climate Change, an independent body that advises government.

Critics say the rules on building in flood prone areas need to be tightened.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils, says where building on flood areas does take place, measures to minimise the risk are always insisted upon.