Jailed, hairdresser who infected men with HIV

The court heard that those victims were having to live with the “devastating consequences” of contracting the virus from sexual encounters with Rowe after meeting him through the gay dating app Grindr.

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

“Many were 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.”

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe had sex with eight men in Brighton between October that year and February 2016.

When police moved in to arrest him, he fled to the North East where he targeted DARYLL Rowe is a real-life Jekyll and Hyde character.

He came across as an obliging, softly spoken “vegan hippy” who was looking for a relationship with the men he charmed.

But Rowe was exposed at his trial as a “nasty, angry individual” who embarked on a “cynical” and “deliberate” campaign to infect male lovers with HIV.

Originally from Edinburgh, he was taken into care at a young age and fostered from the age of seven. He left school after taking GCSEs and trained as a hairdresser at college.

He came out as gay at the age of 15, in the same year he experienced his first sexual encounter.

Rowe said he had learnt to cope two more victims. Rowe – pictured on the right in handcuffs during his six-week trial – cynically set out to spread infection, refusing treatment and ignoring doctors’ advice.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”.

When they refused, he tampered with condoms and pretended he was having safe intercourse. Afterwards he

DEVASTATED VICTIMS’ COMMENTS TO THE COURT...

‘Daryll has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.’ ‘It is a life-long sentence, which would eventually kill me off.’ with panic attacks and anxiety through meditation.

He practised yoga and took a keen interest in healthy living.

He became a vegan after first turning vegetarian at 18.

He said he chose to move to Brighton because of its gay and vegan-friendly atmosphere.

Describing himself as “very spiritual”, he claimed to live by the mantra of “love, life and positivity”.

But as the trial progressed, the prosecution slowly stripped away his apparently unassuming persona, branding him a cruel and calculating liar.

Rowe had even accused his victims of lying when they told police and the jury that he had said he was free of the virus before they had sex. would become aggressive and taunt the men by text, telling one: “I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!”

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

At yesterday’s hearing prosecutor Caroline Carberry read out statements from nine of the 10 men, which she said showed the “devastating consequences” of his actions. Many told how they had considered suicide.

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

Felicity Gerry QC, defending, highlighted comparable cases from around the world and urged the judge to pass a sentence that would not add to the “social stigma” of HIV.

Outside court Det Insp Andy Wolstenholme welcomed the “really strong sentence” and urged any previously unknown victims to come forward.