Appeal dismissed for gunman who killed police officer

CONVICTED murderer Louis De Zoysa, who was given a whole-life order for the killing of Metropolitan Police sergeant Matt Ratana, has lost bids to challenge his conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal.

- By CALLUM PARKE and NINA MASSEY

De Zoysa, 27, formerly of Banstead, was told he would die behind bars in July 2023 after being convicted of Sgt Ratana’s murder the previous month.

Sgt Ratana died in hospital after being struck by two bullets in a holding cell in Croydon on September 25, 2020.

At a hearing last Thursday, De Zoysa’s barristers told the Court of Appeal he should be allowed to challenge his conviction and sentence, on the grounds that he was wrongly deemed fit to plead and stand trial, and that his sentence should not have been a whole-life order.

However, judges Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Goss and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb dismissed the appeal bids.

Dame Victoria said: "All applications will be refused, for reasons which we will give in writing."

She added that the written reasons for their decision will come at a later date.