Handcuffed man 'killed Met officer Ratana with concealed antique revolver in police station'

The antique revolver used to kill Metropolitan Police officer Matt Ratana was bought legally at an online auction during lockdown, a court has heard.

Louis De Zoysa shot dead the 54-year-old custody sergeant at Croydon Police station after being arrested for carrying cannabis and ammunition on the night of September 25, 2020.

Despite being searched following his arrest, and seven bullets being found, the revolver, which was stored in a holster underneath Mr De Zoysa’s armpit, was not discovered.

It is alleged he later used the weapon, which was loaded with six bullets, to shoot the officer deliberately.

But lawyers for the 25-year-old, who also suffered brain damage after receiving a bullet wound to the neck during the incident, said he had not intended to kill Sgt Ratana and had been suffering an “abnormality of mental function” caused by an “autistic meltdown”.

‘De Zoysa made bullets for gun’

Opening the case against him at Northampton Crown Court, Duncan Penny KC explained that the gun had been bought legally at an online auction in the summer of 2020 along with a leather holster.

He told the jury: “Louis De Zoysa bought the gun on the internet. It was an antique revolver. It was legal to own it. The gun worked. But it was an antique.

“You cannot buy bullets for the gun because they are no longer made - 0.41 calibre. If there were bullets or cartridges that would fit the gun and were properly made, the gun would work.

“So, if you want the gun to work, you have to make the bullets. Louis De Zoysa bought the parts to make the bullets [and made them] at the farm where he lived. [He] knew the gun worked with the bullets he had made.”

‘Four shots fired’

Mr De Zoysa, who spent months in hospital after the incident, was present in the dock in a wheelchair, with his right arm in a sling, and had an intermediary with him to assist him.

Mr Penny told the jury, of seven men and five women, that when the defendant was arrested police officers had not found the loaded revolver.

He explained that it was probably hidden beneath one of his armpits but he had been able to retrieve it, despite being handcuffed, and “pull the trigger on purpose twice when he was pointing the gun at Sgt Ratana” at the custody facility in Windmill Road, Croydon.

“The prosecution say that Louis must have been able to get hold of the gun after he was arrested and before he left the police van,” Mr Penny said.

The jury was told that four shots were fired in total, the first one hit the officer in the chest, the second one hit him in the leg, the third hit the wall of the cell and the fourth “caused severe and life-threatening injury to Louis De Zoysa”.

The jury was shown CCTV and body-worn camera footage of Mr De Zoysa’s arrest when officers found cannabis and seven rounds of ammunition.

One of the arresting officers could be heard asking the defendant if he had anything about his person that could hurt anyone and repeatedly telling him to remove his hands from his pockets.

In another clip, a male officer could be heard saying to a colleague: “I don’t trust him. He’s lied to us non-stop.”

In the footage of the incident itself, Mr De Zoysa could be seen asking one of the officers to “please leave” before Sgt Ratana came into the room and asked him to stand up.

The first bullet to hit the officer was fired at 2.09am and was the fatal one. The second one, which was fired in quick succession, hit him in the leg and would not have killed him, the court was told.

Mr De Zoysa denied murder and the trial continues.