Man denies murder of police officer at custody centre
Sergeant Matthew Ratana from Goring in West Sussex was shot dead in September 2020
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, of Goring, West Sussex, 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.