Two British men given life terms for "horrific" student murder

Two British men given life terms for "horrific" student murder London - Two British men, one with a previous criminal record, were Thursday given long prison terms for the "truly horrific" murders of two French students in their bedsit in London last summer.

The murders of the two Frenchmen, both aged 23, were described as an "orgy of bloodletting" by the prosecution.

Biochemist students Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo were stabbed 244 times after being tied up in a frenzied three-hour attack, the Old Bailey Criminal Court was told.

Dano Sonnex, 23, and Nigel Farmer, 33, were each given life terms for the murders, described as "sadistic and barbaric" by the presiding judge.

"These are the worst crimes I have ever had to deal with and, unhappily, no punishment that I can pass can ever bring any real comfort to the families," said the presiding judge.

He ordered that Sonnex should serve a minimum of 40 years, while Farmers would have to remain behind bars for at least 35 years.

It emerged during the trial that Sonnex had earlier been jailed for a knife attack but was allowed out on licence six weeks before the murders.

The court heard that a "catalogue of failures" had led to Sonnex being freed by the probation service. Former Home Secretary Jack Straw apologized for the blunder and a probation officer resigned over the affair.

The judge said that Sonnex and Farmer had only escaped being jailed for the rest of their lives because of their young ages.

But Guy Bonomo, the father of one of the victims, said he was disappointed with the sentences. Both accused were "animals" who should "never get out of prison," he said.(dpa)