My life of terror
Victim fears double killer will get her from prison
THE last victim attacked by thug Dano Sonnex before he butchered two French students is living in fear he will have her MURDERED from behind bars.
The young mum and her boyfriend were tied up with their heads hooded in a chilling echo of the double killing that shocked Britain.
"Just because he's inside, it doesn't mean my life's not in danger. I'll always be looking over my shoulder," the terrified woman told a pal after sadistic Sonnex, 23, was jailed for 40 years last week.
The mum - who cannot be named - is one of a trail of victims who survived violent encounters with Sonnex, a member of a notorious south London family. Two of his targets were Kung Fu experts who overpowered and caught him when he raided their shop at gunpoint.
He was jailed for eight years only to be released early in a series of blunders that left him free to stab French pals Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez a total of 244 times after tying them up and covering their heads with towels.
Terrified
Now living under witness protection, the terrified young mum-then pregnant- was also tied up by the fiend along with her boyfriend just FOUR MONTHS before the murders.
Sonnex held a knife to her throat during the assault in their flat in February 2008.
He threatened her boyfriend with a hammer and bound them with cable ties and placed pillow cases over their heads before fleeing with their cash.
Speaking for her, a pal said: "She knows exactly what Dano is capable of and realises that even though he is in prison he knows people on the outside.
"She's already had threats made to her and has had to tell the police. She wants to start a new life a long way away from south London."
Sonnex began his reign of terror in 2002 at just 16, stabbing Ersan Topcu three times in the back and chest in an unprovoked attack. Four months later, armed with a replica handgun, he and a pal high on cocaine robbed four young people in a shopping centre, putting a gun to the head of one of them, Fleur Staal, 30, before being caught on CCTV raiding a takeaway in Bermondsey.
He fired his imitation gun twice at Chan and Ngiep Lugia. But kung fu martial arts fan Ngiep and his brother bravely chased Sonnex and even though he pulled a knife on them they wrestled him to the ground.
Sonnex was given eight years but released after only five and a half into the care of newly-qualified junior probation officer Susanne Blaine, 42.
Warning
Within three days of his release he attacked the pregnant woman and her boyfriend. Blaine was made aware of the assault which was enough to send Sonnex back to jail. But the probation officer, reeling under the weight of a huge workload and poorly supervised, just gave him a verbal warning.
It left Sonnex and his junkie pal Nigel Farmer, 34, free to slaughter Bonomo and Ferez, both 23, at their bedsit. Farmer was given 35 years for the killings in which the brilliant biochemists were stripped to their underpants, tied up and tortured for hours for their bank card pin numbers.
Blaine has been on sick leave. When asked if she planned to resign she said: "I would quit if I could, believe me, but we all have to work don't we?"
- As our story makes clear, the information came from a friend of the victim and not the victim herself.
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This article has 18 comments
Wow, I always loved England and thought you were all so evolved because you didn't have the death penalty like we do.
Very disappointing.
By elle. Posted June 12 2009 at 7:11 PM.
Death penalty needs to be in the UK. Period. It does work. It just need to take place immediately after they're convicted...not 20 years on death row cost tax payers. There is no room for Evil in this world
By Jenny. Posted June 8 2009 at 10:43 PM.
death penalty works no more chance to kill again and no more drain on the budget specially for terrorism!
By trenwith. Posted June 8 2009 at 7:23 PM.
Seriously, what will the death penalty resolve?
Anyway, what should be brought in, is a far stricter control and instant punishment of violent sick minded people. And once they're jailed, it shouldn't resemble a ladida time in Center Parks. Once such vicious creature killsl out of cold blood, violates people and inflicts trauma, they should be locked up forever without any leisure time activities, fancy meals and encouragement for taking up studying. If I had to choose between death or a being locked up for the rest of my life, in a small cell with zero privileges, no contact with anyone, basic food and no entertainment, I would chose the quick solution, death. The unfortunate thing is, in this day and age, prison usually means a place to relax, to write a book, to take up exercise and lose weight, to study for a degree.. it shouldn't be.
By Pixie. Posted June 7 2009 at 6:18 PM.
The death penalty may not be a deterent, but if it removes scum like this from our streets, then it is worthwhile.
By Su. Posted June 7 2009 at 5:05 PM.
Yes MK and if they didn't have the death penalty in the US they would have even more killers around. The death penalty there has undoubtedly saved some lives even if it's impossible to guage.
By foxy. Posted June 7 2009 at 5:00 PM.
I shall pray every day for the families of those poor dear souls who studied hard in a subject that saves lives. When I see thier faces looking out from the pages of newspapers I want to cry my heart out.......... Oh how will thier families ever cope...I do so feel for them. I am English and I am ashamed to be....I am so sorry for what has happened to your dear sons. Bring back capital punishment for goodness sake.
By miranda . Posted June 7 2009 at 2:16 PM.
Fact is approx 25 years ago is when all these do gooders started getting there way I E , parents teachers banned from smacking kids, someone causing bother in the neighborhood then getting a slap from local residents without the fear of arrest.And as a result you get kids who grew up from that period with total disrespect for property and life.
It has to be the time now to say "Look! All this PC nonsence DOSEN'T work. Lets go back to how it should be." In such a CLEAR CUT case as this and overs like it , death penalty , pure and simple! They have no purpose in a society.
Personally I would have them dropped in Iraq or Afganistan with an abusive plackard about the Taliban etc strapped round their bodies. Then simply logg on to some extremist website and watch justice served.
And what a stupid face he's pulling on his mug shot, Oh I forgot, he's a mean dude, PATHETIC!
God bless the two victims.
By Potsvillewest. Posted June 7 2009 at 1:35 PM.
Fact is approx 25 years ago is when all these do gooders started getting there way I E , parents teachers banned from smacking kids, someone causing bother in the neighborhood then getting a slap from local residents without the fear of arrest.And as a result you get kids who grew up from that period with total disrespect for property and life.
It has to be the time now to say "Look! All this PC nonsence DOSEN'T work. Lets go back to how it should be." In such a CLEAR CUT case as this and overs like it , death penalty , pure and simple! They have no purpose in a society.
Personally I would have them dropped in Iraq or Afganistan with an abusive plackard about the Taliban etc strapped round their bodies. Then simply logg on to some extremist website and watch justice served.
And what a stupid face he's pulling on his mug shot, Oh I forgot, he's a mean dude, PATHETIC!
God bless the two victims.
By Potsvillewest. Posted June 7 2009 at 1:35 PM.
The death penalty does work they "NEVER" reoffend.
Give them say ten years then if no new evidence is found then get rid of such evil people.
By Pete. Posted June 7 2009 at 1:32 PM.
Some people are just evil, no matter what punishment they receive they will re-offend, the only answer is the death penalty - it should have been brought back long ago.
By michelle. Posted June 7 2009 at 1:17 PM.
Well, the death penalty dosen't seem to work in the U.S where they have more serial killers per capita than anywhere else in the world. Lets get away from the reactionary crap about the death penalty (and as a victim of a violent crime committed by a person on parole I'm not talking wishy washy liberalism.) For a hard core of criminals reform is not possible, a combination of personality disorder plus family and cultural influences will always make these people a menace and threat to society. How do we identify them and put into place safeguards for the rest of us? These are the pertinent and difficult questions we need answers for urgently!
By MK. Posted June 7 2009 at 12:59 PM.
This country's damaged beyond repair. Pathetic politically correct governments and councils have seen to that. Even the so-called 'caring' professions eg social work, police are more concerned about the interests of the perpetrators of crimes than the victims. Britain will never again be the great country it once was; self-serving politicians and hand-wringing apologists have seen to that. As for the two who commited this particular crime we can look forward to them having a comfortable life inside at our expense. Does anyone believe that a prison environment will be intimidating for these violent creatures?
By Greig. Posted June 7 2009 at 7:03 AM.
For those who say capital punishment does not work, well it works when people like this are eliminated. No amount of hand-wringing or social work can rehabilitate a person like this. I agree. The politician who wants to be elected should promote capital punishment.
By Katee. Posted June 7 2009 at 6:22 AM.
Will some liberal, hand-wringing, criminal rights
lawyer please explain to the majority of the
public who want the return of capital punishment,
why it would be wrong to dispose of this
piece of human waste.
After all, we put-down mad dogs, don't we?
By LB. Posted June 7 2009 at 4:27 AM.
When you here of vicious crimes such as these it only makes you think WHY? The death penalty needs to be brought back to this country .The government need to have a referendam, and then just see how the people of this country feel.God bless Gabriel,and Laurent.
By Judge Mark. Posted June 7 2009 at 1:46 AM.
In the cases of families like this, such repetition of mindless attacks on society, is proof that prison is not reform, merely an aided extension of their careers at our expense for which we suffer for. With no proposed remedy insight, would we not benefit from their permanent 'removal'?
By Brian ashford Russell. Posted June 7 2009 at 1:32 AM.
He wouldn't be able to get anyone if he'd got the punishment he deserves - the death penalty.
The party that brings it back for crimes such as his will have little problem winning votes.
By Hb. Posted June 6 2009 at 11:42 PM.