Infection accused 'does not know why men would lie'

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A man who claims allegations he deliberately infected seven men with HIV were a conspiracy against him has told jurors he does not know why his accusers would lie.

Prosecutors claim Adam Hall had sex with younger men he met online or at bars in Newcastle, but did not tell them he was HIV positive, did not use protection and did not take the drugs he should have to make him non-infectious.

Hall, 43 and from Washington, denies raping five men and seven counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

When asked if he got aroused by infecting one of the men, Hall told Newcastle Crown Court there was "no way" he passed on the virus.

The court has heard Hall was diagnosed with HIV in August 2010 and he told jurors he took medication to keep it at undetectable, or non-infectious, levels.

He previously told the court he had no intention to cause harm or deliberately pass on the disease and said he told sexual partners about his condition.

Hall also claimed one of his accusers had wanted to have sex with someone who was HIV positive.

In cross-examination on the sixth day of Hall being in the witness box, prosecutor Kama Melly KC said the allegations against him had a similar "theme".

She said the claims were he did not use protection, had raped some of the complainants while ignoring their pleas to stop and had not used a condom.

Hall denied all the allegations and said he was the victim of a "conspiracy".

In relation to one of the complainants, Melly asked Hall: "Did you find it sexually arousing you might be changing this young's man life by giving him your virus?"

Hall said there was "no" penetrative activity, adding: "There was no way he could get my virus."

He said the man was part of the conspiracy against him.

"Who has he conspired with?" Melly asked.

Hall said the man was "around the scene at the same time as everyone else".

Melly asked why the man, who Hall claimed he had been "kind" to, would make up the allegations, to which Hall replied: "No idea."

The prosecutor said: "A man you've treated with nothing but kindness says quite wicked things about you for no reason at all you can think of?"

Hall replied: "No."

In relation to one of the complainants, who was 15 at the time, Hall said he did not realise he was so young.

He said he used a condom when he had sex with the youth, which the complainant disputed.

Melly asked Hall, who previously said he enjoyed threesomes and his "preference" was to be dominant in "quite rough" sex, if he wanted as part of his dominance to "pass your virus on to young men".

Hall replied: "No."

The prosecutor said the complainant was a "young man at the start of his life who didn't want to contract HIV", to which Hall replied: "Nobody wants to."

Melly also said several of the men alleged Hall raped them while they were asleep or under the influence of drugs, which Hall denied.

The prosecutor asked if it was a "coincidence" two people separately made similar allegations or if Hall thought they had "got their heads together" as part of the conspiracy.

He said he thought it was a coincidence.

She also asked if Hall accepted not taking his medication daily, which would keep him at an undetectable level.

Hall said it was only on the "odd occasion" when he missed taking his tablets.

The trial, which began in November, continues.

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