arrests - UK

Fourth suspect arrested in French student murders

Friday 11 July 2008

British police have arrested a fourth suspect in connection with the brutal murders of two French students; the first charged suspect appeared in court Thursday. The victims were found stabbed in a burning flat in London last week.

LONDON - British police arrested a fourth suspect on Thursday in their investigation into the murders of two French students killed last week in one of the most brutal stabbings officers say they have had to deal with.

A 23-year-old man, named as Daniel Sonnex, was arrested in south London less than an hour after police issued a call for information on his whereabouts and described him as "dangerous".

Earlier on Thursday, 33-year-old Nigel Farmer, of no fixed address was charged with the students' double murder as well as arson and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He was remanded in custody by Greenwich magistrates until Oct. 16 to appear at the Old Bailey.

Two other suspects, a 35-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, have also been arrested but have not been charged.

Bio-engineering students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, both 23, were bound, gagged and repeatedly stabbed in Bonomo's south London apartment. Police called it the most frenzied, brutal and horrific murder they had investigated.

Bonomo was stabbed nearly 200 times, with up to 80 of the wounds inflicted after he was dead. Ferez had nearly 50 knife wounds. The killer or killers then set fire to the apartment in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Farmer turned himself in on Monday but was first taken to hospital to receive treatment for severe burns before police began questioning him.

A laptop computer was stolen from the flat six days before the murders, even though Bonomo disturbed the intruder. Police at the weekend arrested a 21-year-old, but later released him without charge.

French newspapers said the murders highlighted how dangerous London has become. London police have arrested more than 1,200 people and seized more than 500 knives in a six-week crackdown against stabbings and knife crime.