Sgt Matiu Ratana was head coach at East Grinstead Rugby Club
By Harry Low & Daniel Sandford
BBC News
A man has been been sentenced to a whole-life prison term for murdering Met Police sergeant Matiu Ratana.
Sgt Ratana, 54, was shot in the chest and leg at Croydon custody centre by Louis De Zoysa, who had smuggled an antique gun into the building following his arrest on 25 September 2020.
He was found guilty of murder, having claimed diminished responsibility.
Sgt Ratana’s partner Su Bushby said her grief was “tormenting” and spoke of an “intense” feeling of emptiness.
De Zoysa, 26, of Banstead, Surrey, shot himself after the attack and was left with brain damage.
The defendant, who communicated in court using a whiteboard, remained impassive as the whole-life order was handed down.
Image source, Met Police
Louis De Zoysa was found guilty of murder in June
Sentencing at Northampton Crown Court, Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson said De Zoysa’s autism and the impact on his family were not sufficient mitigating factors for a lesser term.
He said: “You acted in cold blood. You intended to kill Sgt Ratana. You aimed the gun at his chest at near point-blank range.
“Even as he fell you re-aimed and fired a second shot at him. The aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors.”
De Zoysa, who will serve his sentence at Belmarsh prison, becomes the 65th person in jail in England and Wales under a whole-life order
During a three-week trial, the jury was shown video footage of the New Zealand-born sergeant being hit in the chest by the first of three shots discharged by De Zoysa.
A second bullet struck him in his thigh before De Zoysa was wrestled to the ground by other officers.
Sgt Ratana, who was known as Matt, died of his injuries in hospital.
Footage of the shooting was shown to the jury
In the hours before Mr Ratana’s death, De Zoysa was arrested while walking along London Road in Norbury, south London.
He told the two arresting officers he was carrying cannabis. However, in a holster hidden under his left arm he was carrying an antique Colt revolver.
His waistband was checked and he was frisked, but the officers missed the gun. They had no metal detector in their patrol car.
De Zoysa was then taken to Croydon custody centre in the back of a police van. Detectives believe that it was during this journey that he moved the gun from the holster to his hands, still cuffed behind his back.
There was no metal detector at the entrance to the custody area, so the gun was not found as he entered. Once inside the custody suite, Sgt Ratana told De Zoysa he would need to be searched again.
As another officer pulled him to his feet, De Zoysa brought his still-cuffed hands from behind his back and shot Sgt Ratana in the heart.
‘Nightmare continues’
Ms Bushy told the court she had “lost her soulmate” and had been “in a state of limbo” ever since.
She said: “I just sat there, waiting and willing him to walk through the door. I still do to this day.
“I am hoping that one day it will get easier but at the moment the nightmare continues.
“At this moment in time, I cannot forgive him for what he has done; the person who shot Matt and ripped my life apart, my life as I once knew it.”
Image source, Met Police
Sgt Ratana’s death has devastated his family
The court also heard victim impact statements from other members of Sgt Ratana’s family.
His sister Jessica Williams said: “The cruel and senseless actions of one man have left me and my family broken.
“The impact of what this person has done has left me shattered… I feel like I could drown in the amount of grief I carry each day.”
Sgt Ratana’s brother James William Young said he had felt “hatred and anger” but “most of all pain and sorrow” since the shooting.
“The loss of my brother has been the hardest event in my life.”
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described Sgt Ratana as an outstanding officer who “treated everyone with respect, with compassion and with good humour”.
He said: “Whether it was on the streets or in the custody centre, as a uniformed police officer, on the rugby field or later as a coach, it’s clear that he was someone who made an enduring impact wherever he went.”
And you can watch more on this case, on BBC iPlayer. Just search for Killed On Duty, available to watch now.
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