HIV GBH man given sentence

The first gay man to be convicted of passing on HIV has been sentenced in absentia, and is still on the run from the police.

Mark James, 47, of Burgess Hill was sentenced to 40 months in prison for Grievous Bodily Harm for "recklessly" passing on the HIV virus to an ex-boyfriend.

After originally pleading guilty at Isleworth Crown Court, James tried to change his plea to "not guilty", but was refused. After he failed to appear for sentencing, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Robert Ellison, defending, said: "There's no evidence that this was an act that was done maliciously".

DeborahJack, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust (NAT) said, "Where there's no evidence of deliberate intention to infect someone else with HIV, NAT doesn't believe criminal prosecutions are an effective way of reducing the transmission of HIV".

Story from Gay Times - www.gaytimes.co.uk

Published: 6th November 2006 by Lee (updated Thu 21st Jan)