RAOUL MOAT Copycat killer!

POLICE KILLER ON RUN LEAVES TRAIL OF DEATH

You could be forgiven for jumping to the conclusion that this headline relates to the unfolding story of Raoul Moat but in fact, it is a headline from a very similar incident in 1982.

The similarity between Moat and his actions are chillingly close to the 82 incident when fugitive and police hater Barry Prudom spent 18 days on the run skilfully using escape and evasion techniques he’d learned from books and survival magazines in his effort to kill as many police officers as he could.

Like Moat, Prudom was a fitness fanatic, and lived a Rambo style existence using the natural surroundings for cover and food as he played out his police killing role.

My mentor and trainer Sgt Major Eddie McGee was a military survival expert and tracker called in by the police to help in the hunt. Eddie led the police to the feet of the triple killer who had used a discarded plastic sheet to construct a hide and shelter within 300 yards of a local police station. Armed and dangerous Prudom lay in wait. McGee used his skills to get so close to the killer that he touched his boot giving the waiting police Prudom’s exact position. Moments later four high velocity shots rang out and Prudom was dead.

Police searching for Raoul Moat would be wise to re-visit the intelligence in the Prudom case as the similarity between the two men is quite bizarre.