The softly-spoken ‘vegan hippie’ who ruined the lives of men he charmed

Those who knew him remember Daryll Rowe as a freshfaced, obliging, softly spoken “vegan hippie” who was looking for love and a relationship with the men he charmed.

But he was exposed at his trial as a “nasty, angry individual” who embarked on a “cynical” and “deliberate” campaign to infect male lov- ers with HIV. Originally from Edinburgh, Rowe was taken into care at a young age and fostered from the age of seven.

He left school after taking his GCSES and trained as a hairdresser at college.

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

He travelled to Western Australia for a year to visit his brothers in Perth before movthe ing back to Edinburgh to work. Rowe said he had learned to cope with panic attacks and anxiety through meditation.

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

The hairdresser became a vegan after turning vegetarian at the age of 18.

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

Rowe described himself as “very spiritual” and living by the mantra of “love, life and positivity”.

He loved star signs, likening himself with characteristics of his Libra symbol of being “relationship orientated”, artistic, creative and balanced.

When he was diagnosed with HIV in April 2015, he claimed in court he coped well with the news and did not feel anger towards whoever had infected him.

After reading articles about the practice online, he tried urine therapy in a bid to rid himself of the illness, drinking his own urine.

Rowe denied any memory of doctors warning him of the dangers of carrying the virus, how infectious he was or the legal implications of infecting others.

He claimed to be looking for like-minded people who shared his interests in Marvel comics, Pokemon and Buffy Vampire Slayer. In the end, he became the cruellest character of them all.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Maclean said the verdict on Rowe would hopefully give some comfort to his victims.

“The impact on them is beyond my ability to describe, immeasurable in many ways – especially those who have contracted HIV at his hands,” he said.