Diminished Responsibility
About Diminished Responsibility
In criminal law, diminished responsibility is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental functions were "diminished" or impaired.
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... Louis De Zoysa, 25, had claimed Diminished Responsibility...
Sgt Matiu Ratana murder: Louis De Zoysa will never be freed
By Harry LowBBC News
A man has been been sentenced to a whole-life prison term for murdering Metropolitan Police sergeant Matiu Ratana at a custody centre in London.
Sgt Ratana, 54, was shot in the chest and leg by Louis De Zoysa at Croydon custody centre on 25 September 2020.
De Zoysa, 26, had been arrested earlier That Day and smuggled an antique gun into The Building .
He was having claimed Diminished Responsibility .
De Zoysa, of Banstead, Surrey, remained impassive as the whole-life order was handed down.
Sentencing at Northampton Crown Court , Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson said De Zoysa's autism and the impact on His Family were not sufficient mitigating factors for a lesser term.
He Said : " You acted in Cold Blood . You intended to kill Sgt Ratana. You aimed The Gun at his chest at near point-blank range.
" Even as he fell you re-aimed and fired a second shot at him. The aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors. "
De Zoysa becomes the 65th person in prison in England and Wales under a whole-life order.
He will serve his sentence at Belmarsh prison.
During a three-week trial, The Jury was shown video footage of the New Zealand-born sergeant being hit by The First of three shots discharged by De Zoysa.
A second bullet struck him in his thigh before De Zoysa was wrestled to the ground by other officers.
Sgt Ratana, who was known as Matt, died of his injuries in hospital.
His partner Su Bushy said The Trial " has taken its toll".
She Said : " I Am hoping that One Day it will get easier but at The Moment The Nightmare continues.
" At this moment In Time I cannot forgive him for what he has done. The person who shot Matt and ripped My Life apart, My Life as I once knew it. "
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Source of news: bbc.com