man accused of taking pictures lifeless a Met Police sergeant in a south London custody block fired two photographs immediately at him with the entire incident caught on video footage, a court docket heard on Wednesday.
Louis De Zoysa is in court docket in a wheelchair and on Tuesday wrote on a whiteboard to verify his title and date of delivery.
Prosecutors allege Mr Ratana was shot whereas 25-year-old De Zoysa was handcuffed, throughout an incident through which he additionally sustained a gunshot wound.
Addressing members of the jury panel earlier than they had been chosen and sworn in, trial choose Mr Justice Johnson informed them: “The allegation on this case is homicide.
“The defendant is Louis De Zoysa and he’s the gentleman sitting within the center, within the dock.
“The allegation is that on the twenty fifth of September 2020 Louis De Zoysa was in a holding cell in a custody suite in Croydon when he shot lifeless Matthew Ratana.
“Matthew Ratana was a police custody sergeant at that custody suite. A few of you might have seen press protection on the time.”
Throughout his preliminary remarks to the jury panel, the choose mentioned De Zoysa is recognized as having autistic spectrum situation.
Earlier than a jury of seven males and 5 girls was sworn in, they had been informed the trial is predicted to final for round three weeks, and requested if they’d ever labored for the police or the Crown Prosecution Service.
Sergeant Matt Ratana, 54, died after struggling a deadly wound to the chest in Croydon on September 25 2020.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC, delivered the Crown’s opening deal with to the jury which alleges that 25-year-old De Zoysa shot the officer whereas handcuffed.
The accused additionally sustained a gunshot wound within the incident, the court docket heard.
The prosecutor informed Northampton Crown Courtroom on Wednesday: “On Friday 25th September Louis De Zoysa shot lifeless Matt Ratana.”
The prosecution say De Zoysa pointed his gun at Sgt Ratana and pulled the set off on function twice
On the arrest of De Zoysa earlier than he’s alleged to have killed the officer the prosecutor mentioned: “He was searched by officers on the road, he was put in handcuffs.
“Police discovered he was carrying cannais and 7 rounds of ammunition, poice didn’t discover he was carrying a loaded gun in a holster, the gun was in all probability hid below one among his armpits”
Louis De Zoysa denies homicide.
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