Troubled football legend Paul Gascoigne has opened up about the time he tried to help murderer Raoul Moat.
The bodybuilder was armed and on the run after shooting his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, her new boyfriend Chris Brown and police officer David Rathband back in 2010.
But the armed stand-off between police and Moat took a bizarre twist when Gazza turned up at the scene wearing a dressing gown, clutching a fishing rod, lager and some chicken.
The ex-England midfielder recalled the surreal incident, which he could not remember until he saw himself on the news the following day, and blamed snorting 14 lines of coke for prompting him to turn up at the scene.
He revealed in great detail the events that led up to this bizarre moment during an ‘Evening with Paul Gascoigne’ talk at Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre, The Mirror report.
“You’ve got to realise I’m half cut anyway, sitting in the living room, I’ve got about six lines [of cocaine] lined up,” he said.
“I’m not realising much but a good line and me and Raoul Moat are sort of friends. A couple more lines and we are good buddies.”
He continued: “A few whiskies, another few lines, I’ve had about eight lines and we went to school together.
“He was in Rothbury, that’s where I used to go fishing so I know the area quite well.”
The 48-year-old, who is recovering from addiction, said that cocaine distorted his ‘relationship’ with Moat, who later when on to shoot himself dead following the huge police manhunt.
“Another line and I have a couple of fishing rods and a chicken. He’s going to need a drink. I’ve had 14 lines now and he’s my brother.
“I’ve got my fishing rods, I’ve got Barbour jacket, I’ve got my four cans, I’ve got my chicken. My chicken is important because he must be starving.”
Gazza then said he called a taxi and demanded to be taken fishing and got the terrified driver to take him to the scene of the police stand-off in rural Northumberland.
But the police would not let Gazza – with his cans of lager, chicken and fishing tackle – through to talk to Moat.
“He said just go home. I was devastated because my chicken was getting cold. So anyway I make it back home, I fall asleep with a bottle of whisky,” he said.
“You know in the morning when you panic the first thing you do is look at your mobile.
“I’ve got 250 missed calls, I was like — what have I done? I’ve got a chicken by my side, fishing rods, a Barbour, I’m like f**k me I must have done something.
“I turn on Sky News — Paul Gascoigne was there last night.”
