Pc David Rathband - Blinded by Moat Was Found Hanged

[Parannoyed]

Pc David Rathband - the police officer shot and blinded by Raoul Moat - was found hanged, a coroner has been told.

The father of two's body was discovered hanging from a length of material in the stairwell of his three-storey semi-detached home on Heather Lea, in Bebside, Blyth, Northumberland, on Wednesday evening.

Officers broke into the 44-year-old's home through a back patio door after fears were raised for his wellbeing. Pc Rathband was reported to have posted a series of messages on Twitter in the days immediately before his death.

The traffic officer, who had returned on Monday from a holiday in Australia, was reported to have tweeted "RIP PC Rathband" and that he had "lost my sight, my job, my wife and my marriage" and would "say goodbye to my children".

South Northumberland coroner Eric Armstrong heard that one of the officers who broke into Pc Rathband's house saw "a dark shape" hanging from the banisters.

Opening the inquest to the Pc's death, he said: "Inspector David Guthrie was on duty on the evening of February 29 when he received a radio message that concerns had been expressed for the welfare of Pc Rathband.

"He attended the home address, where other police officers were also in attendance. They attempted to attract the attention of the occupant, then entry was forced through a patio door.

"Mr Guthrie, on climbing the stairs, observed a length of material suspended from a banister and a dark shape suspended from that which subsequent examination revealed to be the body of Pc Rathband."

Retired Northumbria Police traffic officer Keith Lamb told the inquest opening in Blyth that he identified Pc Rathband's body at Wansbeck District Hospital.

Mr Lamb, now deputy coroner's officer, was Pc Rathband's former colleague at motor patrols in Newcastle.

Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper said the cause of death was pressure on the neck due to hanging.

Mr Armstrong said: "That is all the information we have. I am going to adjourn the inquest at this stage pending further information. This is a sad occasion for the family of Pc Rathband and for all his former colleagues and those who knew him."

[Parannoyed]

I hate that scum bag Moat, and anyone who idolizes him for what he did are complete idiots and they deserve the same fate. Although he got off too fucking easy the cunt.

[Stevee]

Fuck I feel for this guy I really do, that fucking meat headed sack of shit took everything from him and now his life too, so fucking sad it's just a shame Moat took his own life because even hardened crims would have given that drug addled fuck a serious hard time in the nick, his estranged wife and kids will have to go through heart break once again, I hope there is a hell Moat because you are surely there YOU FUCKING CUNT.

[summer34]

no words I can say to express how I feel about this

[Parannoyed]

Originally Posted by Steve.

Fuck I feel for this guy I really do, that fucking meat headed sack of shit took everything from him and now his life too, so fucking sad it's just a shame Moat took his own life because even hardened crims would have given that drug addled fuck a serious hard time in the nick, his estranged wife and kids will have to go through heart break once again, I hope there is a hell Moat because you are surely there YOU FUCKING CUNT.

He is everything i hate about a person all rolled into one, biggest coward ever. If i knew where his grave was i would have a heavy session tonight and take my morning after shit on his grave the cunt

[Stevee]

Originally Posted by Parannoyed

He is everything i hate about a person all rolled into one, biggest coward ever. If i knew where his grave was i would have a heavy session tonight and take my morning after shit on his grave the cunt

Yes he was the epitome of human filth, I am displeased he isn't rotting in a cell, I bet that yellow streak down his back was so bright the fuck glowed in the dark.

[Faline]

I was sad when i heard this on the news

[Faline]

Final interview he had:

Depressed policeman David Rathband revealed shortly before killing himself that he could no longer remember the faces of his wife and children - but could recall the image of gunman Raoul Moat.
Pc Rathband was discovered dead inside his home in Blyth, Northumberland in a suspected suicide on Wednesday night.
The father-of-two had struggled to come to terms with his blindness after he was shot in the face by the crazed killer while on duty in Newcastle.
Just months before his suicide, the brave 44-year-old told the Sun that he wakes up every night at the moment Moat shot him in the face.

He said: 'I may be blind but I can still see Moat's face. It's more of a melted face now - like the evil Voldemort from the Harry Potter films.

'The strange thing is that while I can see Moat in my mind, I have no recollection of how my wife or children look whatsoever.
'They are as featureless as an orange to me, and that's what hurts the most.'
The last tragic image of Pc Rathband showed him sunning himself on a beach towel in Australia while appearing relaxed and happy.



Just six days after some of these holiday pictures were taken and posted on Twitter, the police officer was found dead.
Colleagues of the 44-year-old were so concerned about his state of mind that a welfare officer was sent to meet him off a plane from Australia on Monday.
Father-of-two Pc Rathband had sent a series of worrying tweets about his own death just days before he was found, and was struggling to cope with his blindness after being shot in the face at close range in July 2010.
He had been left with more than 200 shotgun pellets lodged in his skull.
Pc Rathband, 44, had returned from a four-week trip to Australia at the weekend, and proceeded to post a number of worrying tweets just days before he was found dead.
His colleagues at Northumbria Police had been so worried that a welfare officer met him off the flight at Newcastle airport.
PC Rathband was driven back to his home in Bebside, Northumberland, before assuring the officer that he was simply tired after his flight.
The officer phoned him the next day to see how he was and PC Rathband said he was still exhausted.
But shortly before 7pm on Wednesday, a relative grew increasingly concerned about his welfare and raised the alarm.
Police went to the home where PC Rathband had lived alone since the separation from his wife and broke in through the back door.
But it was already too late and they found him hanging. Paramedics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Just hours before he was due to fly home he revealed on Twitter that final efforts to rescue his marriage had failed. In one, he revealed that ‘Mrs R’ just wanted to be friends.

He also tweeted that he had ‘lost my sight, my job, my wife and my marriage’, and wrote: ‘Flying back on Monday and will say goodbye to my children.’
In another tweet he said: ‘RIP PC Rathband.’
Pc Rathband later deleted the tweet but other messages on his Twitter page reveal the level of strain he was under.
On Saturday he tweeted: 'Very emotional few days, but back on track. Now focusing on my trip back to the UK and the road ahead.'

He also told his followers: 'Thank you for your positive comments I'm trying my best I sometimes get it wrong. Sorry.'
Several people had alerted police to the worrying tweets posted by Pc Rathband before his death.
One Twitter user, Shaun Jobson, posted: 'I think someone needs to intervene with David Rathband, his tweets are becoming worrying.'
Another user, Scrappy2710, sent a message to Northumbria Police reading: '@NorthumbriaPol Are you aware of David Rathband's tweets?? Doesn't sound very good at all.'
In a BBC interview last September Pc Rathband revealed how he was struggling to adapt to being blind.
He said: 'I have spoken to quite a few people over the last few months and everybody tells me that you have got 10 years before you realise you can deal with being blind.
'At the moment I can't even see the next 12 months.'
Last night a Northumbria police spokesman confirmed Pc Rathband had been found dead at his home.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...d-himself.html

[Faline]

Mrs R said no to getting back. Disaster job lost, eyes lost, family lost, wife and marriage lost. What a year.

Saddening. That fucker just stole his life away.

[Stevee]

I followed this story from the start maybe that's why it bothers me so much, some people may think his wife is heartless but she must have been in a living hell having to deal with his serious head fuck after what happened, I don't blame her at all.