A man has denied the murder of a Metropolitan Police officer who was shot dead at a custody centre in south London.

Sergeant Matt Ratana, 54, died from a fatal wound to the chest following a shooting at Croydon custody centre in September 2020.

Louis De Zoysa, of Banstead, Surrey, pleaded not guilty to murder at Northampton Crown Court on Friday.

The 25-year-old appeared via video-link in a wheelchair and with his right arm in a sling.

De Zoysa, who was assisted by an intermediary, entered his plea by holding up a whiteboard with not guilty written on it.

He was remanded in custody and will now face trial at the same court on June 6.

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De Zoysa has remained in hospital in a stable, non-life-threatening condition, since the incident.

Sgt Ratana, whose name was Matiu but was also known as Matt, was originally from Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island.

He served with the Metropolitan Police for much of his career, having joined the force in 1991.

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