AN accused man “lost the plot” and killed two French students, a court heard today (May 14).

Nigel Farmer is accused, along with Dano Sonnex, of tying up Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez before stabbing them 244 times in Sterling Gardens, New Cross, on June 29 last year.

CCTV images show both Farmer and Sonnex walking through the New Cross area at around 5.30am prior to the killings.

Sonnex's defence counsel Philip Misner told the Old Bailey Farmer was “leading” Sonnex to Sterling Gardens.

But Farmer said he and Sonnex went their separate ways before the murders and that he went home to the Sonnex family's property in nearby Etta Street, Deptford.

Mr Misner claimed his client waited outside Mr Bonomo's flat while Farmer passed out the students' credit cards and told him PIN numbers so he could withdraw money.

At around 6.33am Farmer allegedly called Sonnex's older brother Bernie from the murder scene, though the defendant claims he made the call from Etta Street.

Mr Misner said: "You were making that phone call to Bernie Sonnex to try and impress him no doubt with just how violent you could be.”

Farmer replied: “It's ludicrous.”

Dano Sonnex claims that when he went into the flat after trying to withdraw money the men were already dead.

Mr Misner said: “There was blood everywhere.”

He went on: “Dano went to shake the men, saying things like 'are you ok, are you awake'.

“He went to untie their ties didn't he?”

Farmer responded: “I don't know, I wasn't there.”

Mr Misner claimed: “He was freaked out and was shouting 'what's happened here?'.

“You said they were already like that when you came in.”

Farmer replied: “It's crazy. No, nothing like this happened at all.”

Sonnex claims he then went to wash his hands, first in the kitchen, and then in the bathroom.

Mr Misner claimed that when the pair returned to Etta Street Sonnex said: “I don't want to speak about this ever.”

But Farmer told the court: “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Mr Misner said: “You tied up those men and, whether from drink or drugs, you lost the plot didn't you?”

Farmer replied: “I've never tied anyone up in my life.”

Later, the defendant was asked by prosecutor Crispin Aylett why he had thrown a knife into the Thames after the murders.

Mr Aylett asked: “Did it not occur to you that actually somebody might have died?”

Farmer said it had not.

Sonnex, aged 23, of Etta Street, Deptford, and Farmer, aged 34, of no fixed address, deny murder, arson and false imprisonment.

Farmer denies burglary but Sonnex admits the charge.

The trial continues