The widow of a Metropolitan Police sergeant who was shot dead in a custody cell has said she cannot forgive the gunman who “ripped our lives apart” as he was imprisoned for life with no hope of ever being released.
Cannabis addict Louis De Zoysa has been sentenced to a whole life order by a High Court judge at Northampton Crown Court yesterday, having been convicted last month for the murder of Sgt Matt Ratana.
At the gun fanatic’s three-week trial, jurors were shown distressing CCTV footage of the 26 year old using a legally bought revolver he had smuggled into the police station to gun down Sgt Ratana.
Sue Bushby described Sgt Ratana as her soulmate— (Met Police)
The officer was struck by two bullets in the holding cell in Croydon, south London, in 2020 and later died in hospital from his injuries.
At De Zoysa’s sentencing on Thursday, Sgt Ratana’s partner of five years Sue Bushby fought back tears as she said she could not forgive the “cowardly killer” who “ripped our lives apart”.
Jurors had been shown distressing CCTV footage of Louis De Zoysa using a legally bought revolver to gun down Sgt Matt Ratana— (Metropolitan Police)
“My heart is broken and my life feels empty,” she said, describing Sgt Ratana as her soulmate. “Words cannot express the trauma of losing my courageous and gentle giant. Matt and I have been robbed of a future together.”
She said the years since her partner’s death had been “unbearable” and she had been left in a state of limbo, unable to work and unsure if she will ever be able to move on. “I’m hoping one day it will get easier,” she said. “But at the moment, the nightmare continues.”
Matt Ratana was struck by two bullets in the holding cell in Croydon, south London, in 2020 and later died in hospital from his injuries— (Met Police)
Sentencing De Zoysa, Mr Justice Johnson said: “The jury found you guilty of murder. The sentence for murder is set by law. It is life imprisonment, so I sentence you to life imprisonment.”
Describing De Zoysa’s actions as “controlled, deliberate, and in cold blood”, Mr Justice Johnson said: “The seriousness of the offence means that a minimum term order is not justified. I impose a whole life order, which means you will remain in custody for the rest of your life.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan meets Sue Bushby at Sgt Ratana’s memorial service in Westminster in November 2021— (PA Wire)
At his trial, De Zoysa, of Banstead, Surrey, claimed diminished responsibility.
However, the former tax office data analyst was found guilty after a jury decided he pulled the antique weapon’s trigger deliberately to fire homemade bullets and did not suffer an autistic meltdown. It was not told a shortened infantry rifle, numerous types of ammunition, a pipe gun, and a dummy launcher were found at his rented property after the killing.
De Zoysa, of Banstead, Surrey, was handed his sentence by Mr Justice Johnson at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday— (PA Media)
The jury was shown slow-motion video of New Zealand-born Sgt Ratana being hit in the chest by the first of three shots discharged by De Zoysa within three seconds.
A second bullet struck the 54-year-old in the thigh before De Zoysa was wrestled to the ground by other officers, as a third round hit the cell wall at Croydon’s Windmill Road custody centre.
De Zoysa bought the antique revolver in an online auction— (Met Police)
De Zoysa, who was living in a flat on a farm in Banstead, Surrey, discharged a fourth shot while on the cell floor 16 seconds later, hitting an artery in his own neck and causing brain damage.
The killer, who now uses a wheelchair, has communication difficulties and is being treated at a healthcare unit in Northamptonshire, was arrested in London Road, Norbury, in the early hours of 25 September 2020.
A bag containing seven bullets and cannabis was found during a search of De Zoysa’s clothing and body but officers did not discover a holster containing a .41-calibre revolver loaded with six rounds.
De Zoysa claimed diminished responsibility but was found guilty after a jury decided he pulled the antique weapon’s trigger deliberately to fire homemade bullets, and did not suffer an autistic meltdown
During the trial, prosecutors said De Zoysa “retrieved” the weapon from under his left arm, while handcuffed to the rear, as he was being transported to the Windmill Road custody block in a police van.
CCTV evidence suggested he managed to get hold of the gun with his right hand around 16 minutes before the shooting and then took advantage of a vent at the back of his overcoat to hide the weapon.
The court was told that after buying the revolver on the internet three months before the murder, De Zoysa used bullets he had made to test that it worked.
CCTV evidence suggested De Zoysa managed to get hold of the gun with his right hand around 16 minutes before the shooting and then took advantage of a vent at the back of his overcoat to hide the weapon— (PA Media)
The bullets had been made with parts De Zoysa also bought online, the court heard.
Pre-trial hearings, at which De Zoysa was twice ruled fit to plead despite his communication problems, were told he has no previous convictions.
An examination of his digital devices confirmed his interest in weapons and uncovered material relating to ideologies including right-wing extremism, Islamic extremism and homophobia, all of which he later denied being interested in.
