Court of Appeal hands down judgment in the appeal against conviction and sentence in the case of Louis De Zoysa.

On 23 May 2025, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in the appeal against conviction and sentence brought by our client, Louis De Zoysa. Imran Khan KC represented Mr De Zoysa throughout the proceedings.

Mr De Zoysa had been convicted in June 2023 and sentenced to a whole-life order. The appeal raised a number of important issues, including Mr De Zoysa’s fitness to stand trial, the legal directions given to the jury, and the appropriateness of the sentence imposed.

The conviction

Three grounds were advanced in relation to the conviction:

• That the trial judge was wrong to find Mr De Zoysa fit to stand trial, particularly in light of his complex communication difficulties following a stroke and longstanding autism spectrum disorder.

• That the jury should have been permitted to view the holding cell where the incident occurred.

• That the directions given to the jury on the alternative offence of manslaughter did not sufficiently reflect Mr De Zoysa’s neurodiversity.

The Court of Appeal rejected all three grounds. In doing so, the Court acknowledged the adjustments made during the trial to ensure Mr De Zoysa could participate as fully as possible in the proceedings.

The sentence

The appeal also challenged the imposition of a whole life order. It was submitted that Mr De Zoysa’s autism, personal history, young age, and the lasting impact of his injuries were powerful mitigating factors that ought to have led to the imposition of a determinate minimum term.

The Court of Appeal concluded that the sentencing judge had been entitled to impose a whole life order in light of the seriousness of the offence and the statutory framework for such cases.

Our approach

This has been, from the outset, a profoundly complex case. At every stage, we have sought to ensure that our client was able to understand and participate in the proceedings against him, and that the legal and factual issues were properly and thoroughly examined. The appeal presented complex questions about the intersection of criminal responsibility, neurodiversity, and fitness to plead.

At Imran Khan and Partners, we specialise in criminal appeals involving serious and complex cases. Our team has extensive experience challenging convictions and sentences, including those involving vulnerable defendants. We are committed to ensuring that every client receives a fair hearing and thorough representation at every stage of the process.