Man accused of Croydon police station shooting pleads not guilty to murder

Louis De Zoysa used a whiteboard to plead not guilty and will face now face trial in June over the death of Met custody sergeant Matthew Ratana.

Louis De Zoysa has pleaded not guilty to murder (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

A 25-year-old man has denied the murder of Met Police sergeant Matthew Ratana, who was shot dead inside Croydon police station in 2020.

Louis De Zoysa, from Banstead, Surrey, held up a whiteboard with not guilty written on it to enter his plea via a video-link to a hospital, and will now face trial on June 6.

Sgt Ratana, 54, died after suffering a fatal wound to the chest at Croydon custody centre in south London on September 25 2020.

De Zoysa, who appeared on the video-link in a wheelchair and with his right arm in a sling, also wrote on a whiteboard to confirm his name and date of birth at the start of a hearing on Friday at Northampton Crown Court.

Prosecutors allege sergeant Ratana was shot while De Zoysa was handcuffed, during an incident in which he also sustained a gunshot wound.

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