Huge and repeated British bureaucratic incompetence led to sadistic killings

Rules are for other people to follow. People in the British justice system do as they please if and when they get around to it

A SADISTIC killer who tortured and murdered two French students was jailed for 40 years yesterday after a series of blunders in the justice system left him free to roam the streets when he should have been in prison. Dano Sonnex, 23, and his accomplice Nigel Farmer, 34, were jailed for stabbing Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez 244 times before setting fire to their bodies in a scene of "unimaginable horror". Sonnex was jailed for life by the Old Bailey and ordered to serve a minimum of 40 years while Farmer was given life with a minimum of 35 years.

The victims' families said they intended to prosecute the authorities over systematic failings by the Probation Service, courts and police. Guy Bonomo, Laurent's father, said that the parents knew that their children would be alive today "if the British justice system had not failed us".

Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, apologised to the families for the blunders that left Sonnex on the streets of South London when he should have been back in custody for breaking the terms of his release from an earlier jail sentence for robbery.

David Scott, the chief probation officer in London, quit his post in February over the failings. He expressed his "utter regret" that the crimes occurred while he was head of the capital's probation service.

The judge told Sonnex and Farmer that they had only escaped being jailed for the rest of their lives because of their ages. However, Mr Justice Saunders said the minimum terms could well mean that Sonnex, from Peckham, and Farmer, of no fixed abode, would never be released.

Farmer was also found guilty of burglary, a charge that Sonnex had already pleaded guilty to. Both men were also found guilty of false imprisonment and arson. All the verdicts, including the murder convictions, were majority decisions of 11 to 1.

In court, Mr Bonomo's father smiled at a flush-faced Sonnex as he was led to the cells. Sonnex mouthed the words "f*** you" before Mr Bonomo mockingly blew a kiss at his son's killer.

The two murderers broke into the bedsit in New Cross, South London, where the two French biochemists were asleep, in June last year. They forced their victims to strip, then hooded and tied them up before repeatedly beating and stabbing them for their bank cards and PINs in a three-hour "orgy of bloodletting".

After torturing the students, Sonnex went to a cash machine to withdraw money while Farmer ransacked the flat and seized PlayStations and mobile phones they could sell later.

Sonnex withdrew pounds 365 from Mr Bonomo's account but when the machine swallowed Mr Ferez's card the killers took their revenge by stabbing their victims over and over again.

The judge said: "The facts of this case are truly horrific." He said the victims were "talented, decent young men" who were "entirely blameless" for what happened.

Evidence showed that Mr Bonomo was chased around the room as he was stabbed 194 times while Mr Ferez was stabbed 50 times. "I am satisfied that the only possible reason for the number of stab wounds is that the killings were sadistic," the judge said. "The killers got pleasure from what they were doing."

Outside the court, the students' families were praised for their courage while Guy Bonomo labelled his son's killers "animals".

Earlier, jurors had wept as statements about the impact of the deaths were read out.

Mr Straw, who has met the families twice, said Sonnex "could and should" have been in custody at the time of the killings. He said he took "full responsibility" for failings by the Probation Service but had never considered resigning and instead had set about putting things right.

The only person to lose their job for the failings is Mr Scott. He was effectively forced from his job after an inquiry found a series of failings.

Sonnex confessed in 2004 to a prison doctor in Portland Young Offender Institution when he was serving eight years for robberies that he thought that he "could kill". This was never shared with the rest of prison staff, although that was legally required.

Sonnex was rated as high risk and refused parole twice because of drug use, violence and vandalism, including setting fire to his cell.

Bureaucratic failings meant that Sonnex was classed as medium risk on release after serving two thirds of his sentence in February 2008.

Repeated communication breakdowns, including a printer malfunction, meant that his case never reached Mappa, a high-level tracking group including police and probation services that supervises the most dangerous offenders.

Within two days of his release, Sonnex returned to his life of crime. He tied up a pregnant woman and her partner, threatened them and demanded money. They were too terrified to give evidence against him and police took no action.

His probation officer gave him a verbal warning rather than starting the process to recall him to jail or reassess his risk.

Weeks later he was arrested for handling stolen goods, charged and remanded to custody by Greenwich Magistrates' Court. But three weeks later magistrates released him on bail rather than returning him to jail. They thought that he was already serving a sentence.

His probation officer, who had failed to insist that Sonnex abide by the conditions of his release licence and attend courses, started proceedings to recall him to jail. It took 33 days instead of 24 hours. When the recall was approved it then took the Metropolitan Police 16 days to go to arrest Sonnex instead of the 96 hours set as a target. The police arrived to arrest Sonnex six hours after the two French students had been murdered.

Original report here



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