A STUDENT told his girlfriend he "could not wait" to see her again just hours before he was stabbed 194 times, a court heard today (May 1).

Twenty-three-year-old Laurent Bonomo was due to see Marie Bertez on June 30.

But the French student was murdered, along with friend Gabriel Ferez, at Mr Bonomo's rented flat in Sterling Gardens, New Cross, on June 29, one day before Miss Bertez was due to come and stay with him.

Mr Bonomo had met Miss Bertez in August 2007 and the pair would travel almost every weekend to be with one another while in France, Miss Bertez said in a statement.

She said Mr Bonomo had decided to come for three months to London "which he loved", passing up the opportunity to study in Japan.

The pair had planned to move to Lille once he returned to France and Miss Bertez was looking for a flat for them to stay in.

She had already stayed with him at the New Cross flat for several weeks before she went back to France to take part in a music festival.

In his final message, Mr Bonomo told his girlfriend he and Mr Ferez were playing computer games at the flat and that "he was so very happy to see me again he could not wait."

She tried to call him the following day but said his phone was switched off.

The students were stabbed a total of 244 times on the morning of June 29, during which time it is alleged they were tortured for their Pin numbers and then murdered.

Nigel Farmer and Dano Sonnex are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of the murders.

Later on June 29, at around 10pm, Farmer set fire to the property, causing an explosion which fire investigator Sarah Griffith told the court "pushed the walls outwards" and blew glass out of the windows.

Miss Griffith said petrol had been sprinkled in the flat and igniting it would probably have caused a "fireball".

And she said anyone passing outside the flat at the time "would have been in significant risk from flying glass that was projected out of the windows."

Earlier today, the trial was read a statement by Erick Makele who had helped Mr Bonomo rent the flat.

He said that Mr Bonomo had been the victim of another burglary just one week before the attacks.

The student had opened his living room window and gone to take a shower when he heard a noise.

Returning to the room, he saw a man running away and realised his laptop had gone.

Landlord of the flat Aura Lozana-Quintana said in a statment the flat had been burgled once before earlier that year.

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.