Family, friends and strangers attend funeral of killer

FAMILY, friends and strangers paid their respects to crazed gunman Raoul Moat yesterday.

The service at Newcastle’s West Road crematorium attracted friends and acquaintances from his years as a doorman.

Steroid addict Moat, 37, last month shot ex-lover Sam Stobbart, 22, in Gateshead, and killed her boyfriend, Chris Brown.

The next day he blasted unarmed police officer David Rathband in the face, leaving him blind.

The father-of-three hid for a week before ending his life following a six-hour last stand with police snipers in Rothbury.

The private ceremony started with The Who song Behind Blue Eyes which contains the lyrics: “My love is vengeance that’s never free.” As 150 mourners, many powerfully built, filed out, Alphaville’s Forever Young, which includes the line “Do you really want to live forever?”, was played.

Theresa Bystram, 45, travelled overnight by bus from Surrey. “I absolutely loved him. I just think he is a hero and I wanted to pay my respects.”

But former neighbour, Brian Johnson, 27, of South Shields, said Moat was “no hero”.

“I lived next door to Raoul when he lived in Kenton. He was a good guy, friendly, but I would not ever have wanted to cross him.”

The service included tributes from his uncle, Charlie Alexander, 72, and brother, Angus.