THE jury in the case of two murdered French students must consider the “clear possibility” that a man accused of the killings is innocent, a court heard.

Nigel Farmer is accused, along with Dano Sonnex, of murdering Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez in Sterling Gardens, New Cross, on the morning of June 29 last year.

Afterwards, at around 10pm, Farmer set fire to the bedsit, but claims he only did this because Sonnex's family were threatening his twin sons.

In his closing statement at the Old Bailey today (May 27), Farmer's defence counsel John Ryder said there was a “clear possibility” his client was not involved.

Mr Ryder claimed the defendant was not a drink and drug-crazed “violent maniac”.

He pointed out that Farmer has one conviction to his name, a knifepoint robbery committed 14 years ago for which he served a three-year sentence.

Mr Ryder said: “You see, this is not a violent man. He's a man who made a serious mistake when young.”

Since then, he said, Farmer had been “hardworking” and had never been accused of any other crime.

After his relationship with his partner broke down, Farmer checked into a mental hospital but left after four days.

Mr Ryder said Farmer was in a “malleable” state and fell under the influence of Sonnex's older brother Bernie.

But he denied Farmer had taken part in burglaries and drug-dealing after moving into the Sonnex family home in Etta Street, Deptford, two weeks before the murders.

And he said no scientific evidence linked Farmer to the crime, other than a footprint in the bedsit which may have been left when he started the fire.

Farmer was also not involved with selling stolen items on after the murder, Mr Ryder said.

Mr Ryder accused Fay Culyer, the girlfriend of Bernie Sonnex, of not telling the court the truth about her boyfriend's whereabouts in the hours before the crime.

He said: “There's a real possibility here that the full truth has not emerged – because the full truth is known to people who are wholly and completely corrupt.”

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.