Man accused of murdering custody sergeant says he fired gun during ‘panic attack’

A man accused of murdering a Metropolitan Police custody sergeant by shooting him dead while handcuffed told the court he did not mean to fire the gun.

Louis De Zoysa, 25, says he was having a "panic attack" at a custody block in Croydon, south London, when killed Sgt Matt Ratana, 54, on September 25, 2020.

Prosecutors say he "pulled the trigger on purpose four times" while in cuffs in a holding room - the first and second shots hitting Sgt Ratana.

The third round hit the wall during a struggle with officers, while the fourth hit De Zoysa himself and left him with brain damage.

The defendant had to give evidence at Northampton Crown Court in a modified way due to the communication difficulties he has been left with by the gunshot wound.

Questioned by his defending barrister, Imran Khan KC, De Zoysa accepted he fired the gun, but replied, "no", when asked if he meant to or wanted to fire it.

“Can you tell us why you fired the gun, Louis?”, Mr Khan asked, to which the defendant replied: “Panic attack.”

Mr Khan previously told the jury that the defendant was suffering an autistic meltdown at the time of the shooting.

At the end of the evidence session the defendant, who sat in a wheelchair and was escorted by police officers, appeared to shake for several seconds before he was taken for a break.

Earlier, he had been shown CCTV footage of his arrest in London Road, Norbury, south London, during the early hours of September 25 2020.

In the footage, De Zoysa, of Banstead, Surrey, was carrying a brown bag and an officer told him there had been a “lot of burglaries in the area, it’s half one in the morning, you’re walking down the road with a duffel bag”.

The officer said he wanted to search De Zoysa as he believed he “may be equipped for a burglary”.

In the footage, De Zoysa tells the officer: “I’m going to confess, in that bag is non-medical cannabis.”

In court, the defendant wrote the word “freeze” on a whiteboard, and pressed his chest and said: “Beating fast.” He also said “fear” and “panic”.

In court, Mr Khan asked De Zoysa: “Why didn’t you tell them about the gun?”

The defendant replied: “Anxious."

Officers did not know De Zoysa had a gun until it was used to shoot Sgt Ratana.

Shown footage of himself in a custody cell, the defendant was asked how he was feeling at the time and he replied: “Stuttery.”

The trial will continue from 9.30am on Thursday with prosecution cross-examination of the defendant.

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