A man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering a police sergeant with an antique gun.
Louis De Zoysa, 26, of no fixed address, shot 54-year-old Matt Ratana using an antique firearm hidden under his armpit, while at a Coydon custody centre on September 25, 2020.
De Zoysa shot himself in the neck during the incident and was given life-saving first aid. Ratana was rushed to hospital but his injuries proved fatal.
De Zoysa was convicted of murder, following a trial at Northampton Crown Court, on Thursday, July 27.
Matt, a popular rugby coach and valued colleague, was approaching retirement. His partner, Su Bushby, read out a moving impact statement in court detailing the devastating impact of his death.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Ratana, who sometimes worked at Walworth Police Station, was “an outstanding officer who brought joy to his work”.
Police encountered De Zoysa carrying a large holdall while patrolling London Road, Croydon, on September 25, 2020.
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Officers searched him and found rounds of ammunition in a pouch. During the search, officers did not notice the 128-year-old gun De Zoysa was carrying.
De Zoysa was arrested, handcuffed and taken to a Croydon custody centre where Sergeant Ratana authorised a second search.
Still handcuffed, De Zoysa produced a gun to his right-hand side and shot Ratana.
As two other officers wrestled him to the floor, De Zoysa shot himself in the neck.
He was hospitalised and arrested on suspicion of murder on November 13, 2020. On June 29, 2021, he was deemed well enough to be formally charged with murder.
It later emerged that De Zoysa had legally purchased the antique Colt .41, 1895 double action revolver, under ‘obsolete calibre’ exemptions.
As no ammunition was available for such an old weapon, he manufactured the bullets himself at home.
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Following an investigation into the search of De Zoyza, the IOPC advised two officers on how to improve the body searching and transportation of detained persons.
The police watchdog has recommended that metal detectors be placed in all police response vehicles and vehicles used to transport detained persons.
Since the murder, 4,300 metal detector wands have been issued for use across the Met to front-line officers.
De Zoysa becomes the 65th person imprisoned in England and Wales under a whole-life order.
A whole-life order is the most severe punishment in English law and means the offender will spend the rest of their life in prison.