A MAN accused of murdering two French students wanted to “impress” his criminal friend, it was claimed at the Old Bailey today (May 14).

Nigel Farmer is accused, along with Dano Sonnex, of killing Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez in Sterling Gardens, New Cross.

The French students were tied up and stabbed 244 times on June 29 last year.

Farmer denies taking part in the murders but claims he was threatened by Sonnex's family, including his older brother Bernie, into setting fire to the crime scene afterwards.

The defendant told the court: “I let them walk all over me.”

Farmer said a bonfire was started at the back of the Sonnex family home in Etta Street, Deptford, after the murders.

He said this was to burn Sonnex's clothes and that Bernie Sonnex had also thrown a bag of his clothing on there.

But prosecutor Crispin Aylett said Farmer had come up with this “in order to turn the heat up on Bernie”.

He was asked why he had continued to associate with Bernie Sonnex despite knowing about his violent past.

Mr Aylett told him: “Everything you've told us about him so far makes him sound like a bit of a monster.”

He went on: “What was the attraction in Bernie Sonnex, Mr Farmer? What hold did he have over you?”

Farmer replied: “I was scared of him.”

The defendant, who had moved into the Etta Street house two weeks before the murders, was asked whether he “enjoyed” being seen with a “celebrated local criminal”.

Mr Aylett said: “Did that make you feel, Mr Farmer, like a somebody rather than a nobody?”

Farmer replied: “No, not at all.”

Mr Aylett said Farmer had rung Bernie Sonnex while the two French students had been tied up to “impress him”.

Farmer said the suggestion was “ridiculous”.

Mr Aylett said Farmer had hit “rock bottom” and was using crack cocaine and heroin at the time of the crimes.

He went on: “You behaved in Sterling Gardens in a way you could never have imagined beforehand.”

Farmer replied: “That's totally untrue.”

Mr Aylett pointed out the two defendants had been caught on CCTV near the crime scene before the murders at around 5.20am on June 29.

He said the pair had been “on the prowl looking for somewhere to burgle”.

But Farmer said he had just been going to get cigarettes before heading home and that Sonnex had been “stalking” him before they went their separate ways.

Mr Aylett asked him: “Are you making this up as you go along now?”

Farmer denied this.

Numerous calls were made between Bernie Sonnex and Farmer on the evening of June 29 before the defendant set fire to the students' flat.

Farmer said this was because he was still being threatened.

But Mr Aylett told him: “The truth of it is that you and Dano Sonnex were as thick as thieves and Bernie Sonnex, although he wasn't there, was only too willing to help you two wasn't he?”

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.