Suicide suspected as Taser firm head dies

THE director of operations of the firm that supplied the Tasers used during the stand-off with gunman Raoul Moat has died in a suspected suicide.

Peter Boatman was found dead yesterday morning, and is understood to have killed himself, Pro-Tect Systems said.

Earlier this week, the Home Office revoked Pro-Tect's licence to import and sell Tasers after the firm breached its terms by supplying X12 Tasers directly to police involved in the Moat manhunt.

Mr Boatman, 57, was found dead in his home in Reynard Way, Northampton.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "Officers were called to an address in Reynard Way, Kingsthorpe, at 1:09pm this afternoon, where the body of a 57-year-old man was discovered.

"We are not treating the death as suspicious and will be preparing a report for the coroner.."

Pro-Tect was facing possible action by Northamptonshire Police over the breach of the licence.

It breached its licence by supplying the X12 Tasers and XRep ammunition, which were still being tested by the Home Office, directly to two police forces, the Home Office said.

Speaking after the Home Office revoked the firm's licence on Tuesday, Superintendent Sean Bell, the force's head of operations, said: "We are now considering whether to take further action against Pro-Tect in connection with breaching the conditions of their licence."

Mr Boatman, a former policeman, was in charge of assessing the merits of Taser as head of operational training for the force.

Home Secretary Theresa May revoked the firm's licence to import and sell Tasers after an investigation into the use of the weapons at the end of one of Britain's biggest manhunts.

Armed police fired two Tasers at Moat in an "effort to stop him taking his own life" at Rothbury, Northumberland, in the early hours of 10 July, an inquest at Newcastle Civic Centre was told.