THEY were two brilliant students with bright futures ahead of them, but their lives were to end when two sadistic thugs, high on drugs, burst into their world.

Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, both 23, were stabbed to death at Mr Bonomo's bedsit in Sterling Gardens, New Cross, on June 29 last year.

Dano Sonnex, aged 23, of Etta Street, Deptford, and Nigel Farmer, aged 34, of no fixed address, have been convicted of murdering the students.

The students had been staying in London since May last year for a three-month research project at Imperial College.

They had met at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Polytech, central France, where they were studying biochemistry.

After their deaths, a spokesman for the university described them as "brilliant students with glittering careers ahead of them".

Mr Bonomo was a popular student in France, having previously been president of the student union while excelling in his studies and extra-curricular activities.

He had entered into a civil partnership with girlfriend Marie Bertez, who appeared tearfully on several days of the trial.

The pair had planned to move to a flat in Lille when Mr Bonomo returned to France.

Miss Bertez had joined him in London, only returning on June 21 to take part in a French music festival.

She had been planning to come back to London on June 30, the day after her boyfriend was killed.

Mr Bonomo's father Guy attended every day of the trial, enduring terrible images of his son's 144 injuries.

His mother Lydie remained in France, looking after the dead student's 10-year-old sister.

Mr Ferez's parents, psychiatric nurse Olivier and Francoise Villemont, were also present throughout the trial.

In France, the 23-year-old, from Prouzel in northern France, had worked as a hospital technician and was planning to start a doctorate back in Clermont-Ferrand.

Mr Ferez, who had a sister aged 22 and an 11-year-old brother, was described by teachers as one of the brightest students of his generation.

While in London, the student was living in Thornton Heath but would sometimes stay at Mr Bonomo's bedsit.

On the day before they were murdered the two students, both keen tennis fans, had tried to watch the tennis at Wimbledon.

They later went to watch a rugby match at a Kensington pub and CCTV footage showed them on their way home and smiling at a McDonald’s in Canada Water.

In a final text message to his girlfriend, Mr Bonomo said he and Mr Ferez were playing on their PSP games consoles at the bedsit in New Cross.

She said he told her that "he was so very happy to see me again he could not wait."

One week before the tragic events of June 29, Mr Bonomo's laptop was stolen through an open window as he showered.

Dano Sonnex claims this was him and Nigel Farmer, and that he later sold the laptop for £200.