Man whose parents both died of AIDS was secretly infected with HIV by Daryll Rowe
A man secretly infected with HIV by hairdresser Daryll Rowe says the attack left him suicidal.
Rowe, 27, was found guilty of four counts of GBH and six counts of attempted GBH after he intentionally tried to infect 10 men with HIV.
He insisted on unprotected sex with his partners, many of whom he met on Grindr, or secretly sabotaged the condoms of men who refused.
One victim, speaking anonymously, revealed Rowe subjected him to such torment that he considered taking his own life.
The victim, who was infected after Rowe ripped the condom without his knowledge, says he was badly affected by the HIV diagnosis after both his parents died from AIDS related illnesses.
The victim told BBC South East: “I was in a very dark place you know. I tried to commit suicide.
“And the thing is, the reason I had such a hard time dealing with it, is that both my biological parents died of AIDS and that was one of the reasons why I was so careful in my life.”
A few weeks after meeting Rowe, the victim began to feel sick and was tested for HIV.
He tested positive, and immediately believed Rowe was responsible as he behaved strangely when they met.
When confronted, Rowe told him: “I’ve ripped the condom. I hope you felt my semen inside you.”
The victim added: “And it was just this laughter. There was this menace in his voice. I can only describe it as feeling like you’ve been raped by somebody.”
Daryll Rowe has been found guilty of GBH and attempted GBH after he deliberately infected men with HIV. One of his victims has agreed to speak to us anonymously. (WARNING: This video contains sexual references which you may find distressing.) pic.twitter.com/Qp5Ta7qBDf— BBC South East (@bbcsoutheast) November 15, 2017
Prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC described Rowe’s crimes as “a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect other men with HIV”.
Rowe refused to take HIV medication prescribed, meaning he was able to infect others with the virus.
People with HIV who take appropriate medication have an undetectable viral load and cannot infect others.
During the trial, the court was told that Rowe sent mocking text messages telling partners he was HIV-positive and that they could be at risk.
One received a text saying: “Maybe you have the fever. I came inside you and I have HIV LOL. Oops!”
In a phone call to one partner, who had insisted they use a condom, Rowe told him: “I ripped the condom. You’re so stupid. You didn’t even know.”
Another victim said he was pressured into bareback sex outdoors and feared Rowe would attack him.
