Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Darryll Rowe told one of his victims 'I got you. Burn, you have it'

A man who said he was "riddled" with HIV and convicted of trying to infect 10 men has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years.

Daryll Rowe, 27, infected five men he had unprotected sex with and sabotaged the condoms of another five in Brighton and Northumberland.

He is the first man in the country to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus.

His crimes were branded a "determined hateful campaign of sly violence".

After being diagnosed in April 2015, Rowe met men on the gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the north east where he went on the run from police, targeting two more men.

He sent mocking messages after sex with some of the men, including "I have HIV LOL. Oops" and "I'm riddled".

Image copyright PA Image caption Darryll Rowe was branded as a "sociopath" by one victim

Sentencing Rowe at Brighton Crown Court, Judge Christine Henson QC said: "The messages you sent make it crystal clear you knew exactly what you were doing.

"As well as the physical offences it is clear for the victims the psychological effects are immense.

"They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.

"I cannot see how and when you will no longer be a danger to gay men."

She added: "I note that this sentence is not about stigmatising anyone living with HIV."

Rowe, from Brighton, was convicted of five counts of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) and five of attempted GBH.

During his six-week trial, one man said he felt "pressured" into having sex with the hairdresser.

Another victim branded Rowe as "grotesque" and a "sociopath".

Ahead of sentencing, prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC read out statements from nine of his 10 victims, which she said showed the "devastating consequences" of his actions.

'Horrendous chapter'

Many told how they had considered suicide having suffered physical and psychological damage and needed to take daily medication.

One said: "Darryl has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this."

Another said he found condoms with the tops cut off in the bin, and that it had been "a horrendous chapter" in his life.

A Tyneside man who was in a relationship with Rowe while he was on bail, but was not infected, told BBC Look North: "If you have a dog, and that dog has rabies, and it bites someone, you'd put it down

"That is exactly how I think about him now.

"I think he doesn't deserve to be paid for by the taxpayer for the rest of his life."

Describing his behaviour as "predatory", Judge Henson said Rowe had "emotionally unstable personality traits" but there was insufficient evidence to diagnose a personality disorder.

Det Insp Andy Wolstenholme, of Sussex Police, said the sentence was "hugely important for Rowe's victims, and the communities that he deliberately targeted".

"Daryll Rowe was consistent in lying to his victims about having HIV, he was persistent and aggressive in wanting unprotected sex in order to infect people, and when he didn't get what he wanted, he deliberately damaged condoms to achieve his aim," he said.</s>We applaud the courage of victims who helped convict Daryll Rowe who set out on a deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV in #Brighton. He has now been jailed for life.https://t.co/yZakzBN5XM — Sussex Police (@sussex_police) April 18, 2018

Officials say a hairdresser who deliberately tried to infect 10 men with HIV is heading to prison. Daryll Rowe was handed a life sentence Wednesday in Brighton, England for his actions.The 27-year-old man is the first person in the country to be convicted of knowingly setting out to spread the virus. Rowe met his partners on the online dating site Grindr.Sussex police said he infected five men and sabotaged the condoms of another five. He would persuade his victims to have unprotected sex by telling them he was clean or negative for HIV, according to police.During his initial interview, Rowe, denied having HIV and denied infecting others. But, police say evidence proved he had been diagnosed with the disease in April 2015.Rowe was found guilty by a jury at Lewes Crown Court last November.</s>A "predatory" hairdresser with HIV who embarked on a "deliberate campaign" to infect men he met on a gay dating app has been given a life sentence.

Daryll Rowe was sentenced to a minimum jail term of 10 years and 253 days at Brighton Crown Court, having been found guilty of of five grievous bodily harm with intent charges, and another five of attempting to do so.

He is the first person to be sentenced for infecting HIV in England.

The court heard how the 27-year-old committed his "grotesque" crimes in Brighton between October 2015 and January 2016.

He had been diagnosed with HIV in April 2015, but refused treatment and medication.

He would tell his victims - who he met on Grindr - that he was free of the virus, and then attempt to use tampered condoms during sex in a bid to infect them.

One victim told the court on Wednesday that his encounters with Rowe - who would goad the men with abusive text messages after meeting them - had left him contemplating suicide.

"I think about committing suicide all the time," said the man, who is now HIV-positive.

"I don't feel I can trust anyone. Daryll has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this."

Another, who also tested positive for HIV, said: "How did this happen? My parents died of AIDS and I did everything to prevent contracting HIV. I tried to take my life with my HIV medication."

Rowe had sex with eight different men in Brighton before being arrested by Sussex Police after two HIV patients at a sexual health clinic provided similar descriptions of the person they had sex with.

It led the force and health officials to publish a warning urging gay men who had sex with "a man in his 20s with a Scottish accent" to get tested.

Rowe - said to have been motivated by "anger" and a need to "control" - was subsequently arrested again but was re-bailed twice until November, during which time he went on the run and targeted another two men in the North East.

One of his 10 victims - of which five are now HIV-positive - told the court: "Every day I think of this life sentence I've found myself in.

"Every day I take medication and I know I have a virus inside me that could cause a horrible death. It can affect tremendously my psychological well-being. Even after two years it still feels like a horrible nightmare."

Rowe - branded "grotesque" and a "sociopath" by his victims - repeatedly lied to the authorities during the investigation into his crimes, and continued to deny them in court last year, claiming that he was cured of HIV and that he had not used sabotaged condoms.

Judge Christine Henson told him the jury had "seen through your lies" as she labelled him a "controlling and manipulative" individual, who she said posed a "high serious risk of harm to gay men".

She said: "With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus."

His defence lawyer, Felicity Quarry, asked her not to pass a sentence that would add to the "social stigma" of HIV, describing Rowe as a "vulnerable young man" who "needed therapy".

But noting his "concerted effort to continue to offend when on bail", Judge Henson said: "Given the facts of this case and your permissive predatory behaviour I cannot see when you would no longer be a danger to gay men."

Deborah Gold, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust, described his crimes as "deplorable".

"People living with HIV should not be avoided, feared or discriminated against, even when it comes to sex and dating," she said.

"Well over 100,000 people are living with HIV in the UK, and the vast majority of them cannot pass on the virus to others due to effective medication - this is something most people don't realise, unfortunately.

"The Rowe case is the first of its kind in the UK, and is an exceptionally rare thing to encounter. To intentionally transmit HIV is a deplorable crime one could only commit by avoiding one's own crucial treatment. Our thoughts are with the victims in this case."

Detective Inspector Andy Wolstenholme, from Sussex Police, added: "It's really important to say that the fact it is a life sentence is in no way wanting to stigmatise people who are living with HIV, and in no way reflective of anyone other than Daryll Rowe's personal actions in this."</s>Hairdresser Daryll Rowe, 27, has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court after deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV.

Rowe became the first man in the country to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus.

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was sentenced for five charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a "determined hateful campaign of sly violence".

"You are the first individual to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV," she said

"With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

"Unfortunately for five of the men you met your campaign was successful."

The judge added: "They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you."

He faced a life sentence with an extended term for being a danger to the public when he appears at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Branded "grotesque" and a "sociopath" by his victims, the 27-year-old was convicted in October of 10 charges - five of grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the north east where he went on the run from police, targeting two more men.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was "clean". When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards Rowe would become aggressive and taunted some of the men in text messages. He repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims.</s>A hairdresser has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton crown court after deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV.

Daryll Rowe, 27, from Brighton, showed no emotion as he was sentenced for five charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the north-east where he went on the run from police, targeting two more men.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards Rowe would become aggressive and taunted some of the men in text messages. He repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a “determined hateful campaign of sly violence”.

“You are the first individual to be sentenced for section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV,” she said.

“With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

“Unfortunately for five of the men you met your campaign was successful.”

The judge added: “They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.

“Given the facts of this case and your permissive predatory behaviour I cannot see when you would no longer be a danger to gay men.

“In my judgment the offences, taken together, are so serious, that a life sentence is justified. You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life.”</s>A hairdresser who deliberately tried to infect 10 men with HIV has been jailed for at least 12 years.

Daryll Rowe became the first man in the country to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus after meeting the men on gay dating app Grindr.

Branded “grotesque” and a “sociopath” by his victims, the 27-year-old was convicted in November of 10 charges - five of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a “determined hateful campaign of sly violence”.

“You are the first individual to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV,” she said.

“With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

“Unfortunately for five of the men you met, your campaign was successful.”

The judge continued: “They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts.

“Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.”

She told Rowe he poses a significant risk to the public, adding: “You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life.”

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the North East where he went on the run from police, targeting two more victims.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards he would become aggressive and taunt them over text, telling one: “I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!”

Rowe repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims.

He told jurors he believed he had been cured of the virus by the time he moved to Brighton, having adopted the practice of drinking his own urine as a treatment, supplemented with natural remedies, including oregano, coconut and olive leaf oils.

He sat in the dock, showing no emotion during his sentencing hearing as prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC read out statements from nine of his 10 victims, which she said showed the “devastating consequences” of Rowe’s actions.

Many told how they had considered suicide having suffered physical and psychological damage, needing to take daily medication.

Rowe’s first victim told how he had considered taking his own life after he was diagnosed with HIV in January 2016.

He said: “Darryl has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.”

One said he thought he was going to die when he found out he had the virus, while another told of the “shattering effect” it had on him and his family, believing “it was a life-long sentence, which would eventually kill me off” because of the stigma surrounding the disease.

“While for some cases of GBH it might be possible for victims to put the acts behind them, unfortunately this will never be the case for me,” said a different victim, who requires daily medication.

“There is a virus inside me which will give me a horrible and painful death unless I take pills for the rest of my life.”

The court heard a psychiatric report found Rowe’s crimes were carried out with a “significant degree of rage, control, sadism and violence”.

“This defendant is the first individual in the UK who falls to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of the intentional infection of others with the HIV virus,” said the prosecutor.

“This was a deliberate campaign to infect multiple men with a serious life-threatening and life-changing disease such that it falls outside the sentences envisaged by the (sentencing) guidelines.”

Felicity Gerry QC highlighted comparable cases from around the world, urging the judge to pass a sentence that would not add to the “social stigma” of HIV, but inform the public the virus is not what it was in the 90s.

“He was a vulnerable young man in a community where the disclosure of one’s HIV status remains unusual, in the context of how he was meeting people,” she said.

“This is not a terminal illness. Those who live with HIV have good and high life expectancies.”

She added: “There really is a need for therapy and not incarceration.”

Sussex Police came under fire over claims they put gay men in danger when they released Rowe on bail, after which he continued his campaign.

Northumbria Police have been accused of wrongfully arresting and detaining one of his unsuspecting victims as he came to terms with his boyfriend’s crimes.

Rowe’s final victim blamed police for putting him at risk and said more could have been done sooner to stop Rowe’s offending.

It was 18 days after his arrest that Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council urged gay men to get tested for HIV if they had been sexually involved with “a man in his 20s with a Scottish accent”.

Police appealed for anyone with information or potential victims to come forward but refused to publish his name and photo.

He was later identified by a newspaper, prompting widespread media reports.</s>A British man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV.

Prosecutors alleged that Daryll Rowe, 27, infected five men through unprotected sex, and attempted to infect several others by intentionally damaging condoms.

Rowe, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2015, met men on the gay dating app Grindr, prosecutors said.

After having sex with his partners, he would message some of the victims saying, “I have HIV LOL. Oops,” the BBC reported.

Christine Henson, the judge at his sentencing, said: “The messages you sent make it crystal clear you knew exactly what you were doing. As well as the physical offenses it is clear for the victims the psychological effects are immense ... Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.”

She continued, “I cannot see how and when you will no longer be a danger to gay men.”

One of Rower's victims testified during the six-week trial that he felt “pressured” into having sex with Rowe; another branded him as “grotesque” and a “sociopath.”

A third victim said that Rowe had “destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.”

Rowe's lawyer pleaded with the judge for a lighter sentence, arguing a life term would stigmatize HIV sufferers.

Henson said the sentence would not be about "stigmatizing anyone with HIV" but about the "immense" psychological effects Rowe caused to his victims.

Rowe, who is 27, will serve at least 12 years of his sentence in prison. It is the first sentencing of its kind in the U.K., where a person is imprisoned for “grievous bodily harm” by intentionally infecting others with HIV.</s>A hairdresser handed a life sentence for deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV has been branded a “menace to society” by his final victim.

Daryll Rowe (27), was told he must serve at least 12 years in jail after he became the first man in UK to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus.

Speaking to the Press Association following the sentence, his final victim, who was not infected, revealed Rowe had told him he was bisexual.

The victim said: “As long as he has strength in his body, he will be a risk. He is a menace to society. He is a sociopath because I don’t think he has any regard for other people’s feelings.”

Rowe’s six-week trial heard he launched a deliberate campaign to infect gay men he met on dating app Grindr after being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the northeast where he went on the run from police, targeting two more victims.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards he would become aggressive and taunt them by text, telling one: “I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!”

Rowe told jurors he believed he had been cured of the virus by the time he moved to Brighton, having adopted the practice of drinking his own urine as a treatment, supplemented with natural remedies, including oregano, coconut and olive leaf oils.

But he was convicted of 10 charges – five of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Sentencing him at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Christine Henson QC said: “Given the facts of this case and your permissive predatory behaviour, I cannot see when you would no longer be a danger to gay men.”

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as statements from nine of his 10 victims were read out.

“They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts,” said the judge. “Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.”

Victims told how they had considered suicide having suffered physical and psychological damage, needing to take daily medication.

Rowe’s first victim, who was diagnosed with HIV in January 2016, said: “Daryll has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.”

Another, whose parents died of Aids when he was a child, said he “did everything” to prevent himself catching the virus.

“Daryll Rowe decided to take that right away from me. A part of me died that day when I was diagnosed. The old me is no longer. The new me is constantly sad, thinking about how my life changed.

“I have been devastated by Rowe’s actions but I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.” – Press Association</s>A hairdresser who deliberately tried to infect 10 men with HIV has been jailed for at least 12 years.

A hairdresser who deliberately tried to infect 10 men with HIV has been jailed for at least 12 years.

Hairdresser who tried to infect men from Grindr with HIV jailed for life

Branded “grotesque” and a “sociopath” by his victims, the 27-year-old was convicted in November of 10 charges – five of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so. Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a “determined hateful campaign of sly violence”. She said: “You are the first individual to be sentenced for section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV. With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

“Unfortunately, for five of the men you met your campaign was successful.” She added: “They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.”

She told Rowe he poses a significant risk to the public, adding: “You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life.” After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex. Afterwards he would become aggressive and taunt them over text, telling one: “I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!”

Rowe repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims. He told jurors he believed he had been cured of the virus by the time he moved to Brighton, having adopted the practice of drinking his own urine as a treatment, supplemented with natural remedies, including oregano, coconut and olive leaf oils.

He sat in the dock showing no emotion during his sentencing hearing as prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC read out statements from nine of his 10 victims, who she said showed the “devastating consequences” of Rowe’s actions. Many told how they had considered suicide, having suffered physical and psychological damage, needing to take daily medication. Rowe’s first victim told how he had considered taking his own life after he was diagnosed with HIV in January 2016.

He said: “Daryll has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.” Another victim said he thought he was going to die when he found out he had the virus, while another told of the “shattering effect” it had on him and his family, believing “it was a lifelong sentence, which would eventually kill me off” because of the stigma surrounding the disease. “While for some cases of GBH it might be possible for victims to put the acts behind them, unfortunately this will never be the case for me,” said a different victim, who requires daily medication. “There is a virus inside me which will give me a horrible and painful death unless I take pills for the rest of my life.”

The court heard that a psychiatric report found Rowe’s crimes were carried out with a “significant degree of rage, control, sadism and violence”. The prosecutor told the court: “This defendant is the first individual in the UK who falls to be sentenced for section 18 offences in the context of the intentional infection of others with the HIV virus. This was a deliberate campaign to infect multiple men with a serious life-threatening and life-changing disease such that it falls outside the sentences envisaged by the [sentencing] guidelines.” Felicity Gerry QC highlighted comparable cases from around the world, urging the judge to pass a sentence that would not add to the “social stigma” of HIV, but inform the public the virus is not what it was in the 1990s.

“He was a vulnerable young man in a community where the disclosure of one’s HIV status remains unusual, in the context of how he was meeting people,” she said. “This is not a terminal illness. Those who live with HIV have good and high life expectancies.” She added: “There really is a need for therapy and not incarceration.” Sussex Police came under fire over claims they put gay men in danger when they released Rowe on bail, after which he continued his campaign.</s>April 18 (UPI) -- A British man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after a court found he deliberately infected five men with HIV and attempted to infect several others.

Daryll Rowe, a 27-year-old hairdresser from Brighton, will serve at least 12 years of his sentence, which was the first time in Britain that a person was imprisoned for "grievous bodily harm" by intentionally infecting others with HIV.

"As long as he has strength in his body, he will be a risk," one of Rowe's victims said after the hearing, according to the Guardian. "He is a menace to society. He is a sociopath because I don't think he has any regard for other people's feelings."

After Rowe was diagnosed with HIV in 2015, he went on the gay dating app Grindr to find men to have sex with between October 2015 and January 2016. If the victims refused to have unprotected sex, Rowe manipulated the condom.

Afterward, he texted his victims with mocking messages, such as "I have HIV LOL. Oops," the BBC reported.

In another message, he wrote: "I ripped the condom. I got you."

In late 2015, Rowe went on the run and to northeast England, where he continued to seek out men to have sex with and gave a false name in case they looked him up and found he was wanted by police in Brighton. He was eventually arrested in February 2016.

Rowe's attorney asked Judge Christine Henson QC for a lighter sentence so as not to stigmatize HIV infection.

"This is not a terminal illness," the attorney said, according to the Telegraph. "Those who live with HIV have good and high life expectancies."

She added: "There really is a need for therapy and not incarceration."

But Henson said a life sentence would not be about "stigmatizing anyone with HIV" but about the "immense" psychological effects Rowe caused to his victims.

"They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts," she said. "Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you...I cannot see how and when you will no longer be a danger to gay men."
A Crown Court in England jails Daryll Rowe for life with a minimum of 12 years for deliberately infecting five men with HIV and attempting to infect five more. He is the first person convicted of deliberate HIV transmission in the United Kingdom.