A WITNESS has been accused of “telling lies” to protect her boyfriend's family at the trial of two men charged with murder.

Nigel Farmer and Dano Sonnex are accused of murdering French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez at a flat in Sterling Gardens, New Cross, on June 29 last year.

But John Ryder, defending Farmer, claims his client did not take part in the burglary and suggested Sonnex's brother Bernie could have been the other man.

As Fay Culyer, expecting a baby by the imprisoned Bernie Sonnex, gave evidence to the Old Bailey today (April 30), Mr Ryder accused her of “telling lies”.

She had told police how Dano Sonnex had admitted to stabbing the students, “shrugged his shoulders” and “didn't seem fazed by it one bit.”

But Miss Culyer told the court today: “I was very mistaken.”

Mr Ryder claimed the witness had been influenced by Bernie Sonnex to retract her statement, which she denies.

In her statement, she recalls Dano Sonnex saying: “They're not going to find me. I'll be dead before they try to get me.

“I need a tool to get away with.”

But Miss Culyer told the court she did not remember saying that and by 'tool', Sonnex had meant a screwdriver not a gun.

Mr Ryder said at the time of the offences Dano Sonnex, released from prison months earlier, had been committing burglaries.

He said the family house in Etta Street, Deptford, would often contain stolen plasma TVs and computers.

And he said the witness herself and Bernie Sonnex were stealing suits from Next on a daily basis to fund their drug habits.

He also claimed Miss Culyer had witnessed a violent incident in which Bernie Sonnex attacked another man with a bottle.

He asked her: “To your knowledge was Bernie involved in what happened at Sterling Gardens?”

She replied: “He was at home with me that night.”

But Miss Culyer admitted that, despite what she had told police, Bernie Sonnex had not been with her the whole evening of June 28.

Mr Ryder said she was trying to give Bernie an alibi.

He suggested that, following a phone call from Dano at 3.13am on the morning of June 29, Bernie went out to meet him. But Miss Culyer said that was wrong.

After the murders, Miss Culyer spoke on the phone to Michael Kelly, the imprisoned father of her two sons.

She allegedly said: “I know who did it” and “I know where the knife is”.

Mr Ryder claimed she also said: “Dan is protecting his brother – I'm not protecting Dan.”

But Miss Culyer said she could not remember this.

He said: “Is the position that the family's view or Bernie's view was that Dano had gone too far in what had gone on in Sterling Gardens and now he couldn't be protected anymore?

“He'd have to go on the run and get away, but that Dano would protect a brother who'd been involved in the offences with him.”

She replied: “No – that's not what I meant.”

Talking about Farmer, Mr Ryder said: “This wally, this idiot, this div, has been substituted as the other man hasn't he?”

She replied: “No, it's not for me to say.”

Farmer, aged 33, of no fixed address, and Sonnex, aged 23, of Etta Street, Deptford, deny murder, arson and false imprisonment.

Sonnex admits burglary but Farmer denies the charge.

The trial continues.