
Ian Payne 4am - 7am
4 February 2025, 08:51 | Updated: 4 February 2025, 12:20
The mother of a man who was found guilty of murdering a police officer has told LBC that her son “is not evil” and that his actions were the result of an “autistic meltdown”.
Louis De Zoysa was sentenced to a whole-life prison term for murdering Metropolitan Police sergeant Matiu Ratana in September 2020.
After being arrested in Norbury, south London, De Zoysa smuggled an antique gun into Croydon custody centre and shot Sgt Ratana, 54, in the chest and leg.
De Zoysa was found guilty of murder, having claimed diminished responsibility.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, De Zoysa’s mother Elizabeth De Zoysa has said she doesn’t believe her son is an evil person and that his autism contributed to his actions.
She said: “There are things I said to myself when we first learnt about this. Firstly, I didn’t want my son to be an evil cop killer and I think genuinely he had an autistic meltdown and that’s what contributed to his actions.
“There’s no indication whenever I speak to him he ever wanted to kill anyone… He’s not evil, he didn’t mean to do this and that gives me great comfort.”
De Zoysa was left with brain damage after turning the gun on himself following the attack.
His mother has said that he now communicates using one-word answers and a whiteboard as a result of his injuries but that she doesn’t “believe the narrative” that he “turned the gun on himself”.
“It’s a miracle he’s alive so I hold onto that”, she said.
“I was so worried that he had wanted to commit suicide. And I don’t believe he ever did. I don't believe this narrative that he turned the gun on himself.”
Ms De Zoysa said her son was “very kind” and “never” showed signs of aggression but did admit he’d always had an “interest in guns”.
Discussing the weapon used in the murder, Ms De Zoysa told Nick: “He’d always had an interest in guns - a low level interest - and he bought a gun.
“It's a vintage gun from an auction house and that’s what he used. He made the bullets himself.”
Read more: Boy, 15, dies after stabbing at school in Sheffield - as teenager, 15, arrested
De Zoysa, who was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court in July 2023, is serving his whole-life order at Belmarsh Prison.
Ms De Zoysa said she is “very concerned” about the welfare of her son in the Category A prison, saying that her son “looked like a tramp” last time she saw him.
“He doesn’t seem to be coping with the prison system,” she said. “For example, I haven’t heard from him for over a week because he doesn’t know how to get the phone ready.
“The last time I saw him on a visit he actually looked like a tramp. He had holes in his shoes, his clothes had holes, his trousers were stained, it looked like he hadn’t washed or brushed his hair for weeks.”
On whether Belmarsh is the right place for her son, Ms De Zoysa said: “Absolutely not. He’s massively brain damaged, he’s in a wheelchair, he’s paralysed on his right side. Belmarsh just doesn’t have the capability to look after him.
“He’s not doing any walking. He needs some stimulation.”
Ms De Zoysa feels that her son’s schools “failed him” with her teachers revealing in witness statements they didn’t know of his autism despite his diagnosis at the age of 13.
She said: “That information should have been passed onto the schools and it’s just heartbreaking to know none of the teachers knew he had autism.
“I think if only they had known, if a little bit of support had been put in place for him to improve his social skills. But by the time they leave school it’s over, it’s very difficult then.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: "While we cannot comment on individual prisoners, we dispute many of the claims being made.
"The Prison Service caters to all disabilities, and all prisoners’ needs are assessed when they enter custody and arrangements are made locally to ensure they are met."