Overview

• Louis De Zoysa, convicted of murdering Met Police Sergeant Matt Ratana in 2020, lost his appeal against conviction and sentence on May 8, 2025.
• The Court of Appeal judges ruled that De Zoysa’s arguments regarding his fitness to plead and the severity of his whole-life order were unfounded.
• Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Goss, and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb confirmed the dismissal of all applications, stating detailed reasons will be provided later.
• Sgt Matt Ratana was fatally shot in a Croydon custody cell in September 2020 after officers failed to detect a hidden firearm during a search.
• The case has led to institutional reforms in police custody procedures and ongoing civil litigation by Ratana’s partner against the Metropolitan Police.