Suspect in shooting of Met Police officer Matt Ratana pleads not guilty

Louis De Zoysa, 25, held up a whiteboard with the words “not guilty” written on it to indicate his plea regarding the murder of Met Police Sergeant Matiu (Matt) Ratana when he appeared in court.

A man has pleaded not guilty to murdering Met Police Sergeant Matiu (Matt) Ratana, who was shot dead inside a Croydon police station in 2020.

Louis De Zoysa, 25, held up a whiteboard with the words “not guilty” written on it when he appeared in court via a video link for a plea hearing on Friday morning.

New Zealand-born Ratana, 54, died after suffering a fatal wound to the chest at Croydon Custody Centre in south London in the early hours of September 25, 2020.

"Fearless" Matiu Ratana's family say they are devastated by his tragic death.

De Zoysa, who appeared on the video link from a hospital, was in a wheelchair with his right arm in a sling.

During the hearing at Northampton Crown Court, he wrote on a whiteboard to confirm his name and date of birth.

Prosecutors allege Ratana was shot while De Zoysa was handcuffed inside the Croydon custody suite.

During the alleged incident, De Zoyza sustained a gunshot wound to the neck.

He was remanded in custody until his trial, which is expected to last for three weeks.

‘Big in heart’

Ratana, who was of Māori descent, was a highly accomplished rugby coach and just two months away from being eligible for retirement when he died.

Dame Cressida Dick, the Met Commissioner at the time, described Ratana as a “talented officer” who was “big in heart”.

“Matt spent nearly 30 years as a uniformed police officer, serving the public of London,” she said.

“He will be remembered so fondly in Croydon and missed there, as well as in the Met and the rugby world,” she added.