National claim a leaked Labour tax policy, police take to the sky in the search for missing real estate agent and global boiling is here as the earth’s temperatures soar. Video / NZ Herald / AP
The killer of Sergeant Matt Ratana has been given a life sentence for fatally shooting the New Zealand-born police officer in September 2020.
Sentencing Louis De Zoysa, 26, to a whole-life term, meaning he will never be freed, Justice Jeremy Johnson told him: “Autism is not to blame for this– you are.”
De Zoysa, a cannabis user, shot Ratana in a police station in Croydon, south London, while handcuffed in a cell.
New Zealand-born police officer Matt Ratana, pictured at Shoreham by Sea, West Sussex, was gunned down in a Croydon police station. Photo / Metropolitan Police, File
The gun fanatic was convicted of murder last month after jurors were shown distressing CCTV footage of the 26-year-old using a legally bought revolver to shoot the officer in September 2020. Ratana, formerly of Hawke’s Bay, died in hospital after being struck by two bullets in the holding cell.
The jury that convicted De Zoysa, a former tax office data analyst, was not told that a shortened infantry rifle, numerous types of ammunition, a pipe gun and a dummy launcher were found at his rented property after the killing.
Sentencing De Zoysa at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, the judge told him: “You acted in cold blood. You intended to kill Sergeant 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. There is therefore no justification to depart from the starting point of a whole-life order.”
Sergent Matt Ratana with his partner Su Busby. Photo / Supplied
De Zoysa, who is expected to be held at HMP Belmarsh, in southeast London, showed no obvious reaction as he was told he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
The judge said victim impact statements made to the court by the siblings, son, stepmother, former partner and partner of Ratana showed they were “rightly immensely proud” of him.
Stressing that the sentence imposed on De Zoysa was one “of last resort” reserved for cases of the most extreme gravity, the judge told him: “A whole-life order means that you must remain in custody for the rest of your life.
“The events are clear on CCTV and body-worn video evidence. You knew the gun worked, you knew that each cartridge was likely to kill if fired directly at a person’s chest.
Former All Black Zinzan Brooke helps deliver a haka after the funeral of Kiwi-born police officer Matt Ratana. Photo / File
“You deliberately concealed the gun from the police. You told them you had cannabis to focus their attention on that. You made strenuous and successful efforts to retrieve the gun while you were handcuffed behind your back.”
“You were able to think about what you would do,” he added. “Autism is not to blame for your decision to murder Sergeant Ratana. You are to blame for that.”
The court was told that officials at Belmarsh have confirmed the prison has the resources and facilities to provide the type of medical care De Zoysa requires.
