Raoul Moat's henchmen sentenced to 60 years for aiding rampage

Two henchmen who helped crazed gunman Raoul Moat during his shotgun rampage which left a man dead and a police officer blinded, were jailed for life yesterday.

Karl Ness will serve at least 40 years before he can apply for parole, while Qhuram Awan must stay behind bars for a minimum of 20 years. The men were convicted of a string of serious charges relating to the murderous rampage led by Moat, after a five-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

The jealous and obsessive former doorman shot his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, 22, and killed her new boyfriend Chris Brown, 29, in Birtley, Tyneside, last July.

The next day he shot and blinded traffic officer Pc David Rathband, 43, leaving him for dead.

Pc Rathband, who wept as details of the case were outlined, said afterwards: "We are extremely pleased with the sentences set out for these two evil individuals."

Ness, 26, from Dudley, North Tyneside, helped source a gun while Moat was in prison, spied on Ms Stobbart for him and helped research the identity of her new lover on the internet.

He was convicted of murdering Mr Brown despite not having pulled the trigger.

Awan, 23, from Blyth, Northumberland, and Ness were convicted of conspiracy to murder police officers and the attempted murder of Pc Rathband.

Awan was driving on the night Moat declared war on police, before he crept up on the unsuspecting officer, while Ness was also in the car.

They were with Moat when he held up a chip shop in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, the next day. Both men were convicted of robbery.

The accomplices helped the fugitive set up a secret camp in a field outside Rothbury, Northumberland.

They went shopping for supplies without Moat and failed to raise the alarm.The men claimed they were being held hostage and were too scared to tip off police.

Moat gave officers the slip before shooting himself three days later in a stand-off with police.

While he remained at large police mounted a huge operation to find him, drafting in firearms specialists from across the UK.

Mr Justice McCombe, sentencing Ness and Awan to life, said both men were a danger to the public.

"Here we have a case where three men formulated a plan to murder policemen indiscriminately, and then, pursuant to the plan, attempted (to within the thinnest thread of human life) to kill one officer, with appalling consequences," he said.

"The roles played by these two defendants cannot be minimised."

Pc Rathband added: "Both Ness and Awan will be very old people before they are released or considered for release and long may they stay there.

"These two individuals, along with the other coward who wasn't man enough to stay here, have taken my job from me.

"I am now blind for the rest of my life.

"It will be me who decides when I will leave, not these three individuals. I will continue as long as I possibly can in the job I love."

The judge said he hoped Pc Rathband could continue his career.

Mr Brown's brother Jason said: "I hope every day of his 40 years he (Ness) thinks about what he has done."

Detective Superintendent Jim Napier said: "Throughout that week last July, both men had numerous opportunities to stop these unfolding events and prevent people being killed and injured. However neither took any responsibility for their actions."