Man accused of murdering Met officer Sgt Matiu Ratana 'sad' he died, jury hears
A man accused of murdering Metropolitan Police custody sergeant Matiu Ratana has told a jury he felt "sad" the officer died.
As he began giving evidence at Northampton Crown Court, Mr De Zoysa sat in a wheelchair in the well of the courtroom with a small whiteboard and marker on the desk in front of him, which he is using because of communication difficulties. The court has heard that the first and second shots hit Sgt Ratana, the third hit the wall during a struggle with officers and a fourth hit the defendant.He told the court he is autistic and would regularly get stressed out, leading him to punch chairs and walls.He later wrote the word "coke" on his whiteboard before adding: "He is a criminal. He used to be a drug dealer."
The court heard in June 2019 he was arrested for "fighting" his father because his dad was upsetting him and talking "too loud".He confirmed to jurors he had previously broken the stairs in his family home and set a carpet on fire because he was "upset", and also said he smoked cannabis due to "stress" as it helped him feel "mellow".
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