HIV rape accused's sex preference 'weaponised'

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The sexually dominant preferences of a man accused of infecting seven men with HIV has been "weaponised against" him by prosecutors, his barrister has told jurors.

Adam Hall, 43, is accused of having unprotected sex with young men he met online or at bars in Newcastle without telling them he was HIV positive and while knowing he was infectious.

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

In his closing speech to jurors, Hall's barrister Craig Hassall KC said there were "at least two sides to every story".

The court has heard Hall was diagnosed with HIV in August 2010 for which he was prescribed medication to keep the virus at undetectable, or non-infectious, levels.

Prosecutors said Hall, who liked to be "dominant" sexually, intended to deliberately wreck the lives of the complainants between 2015 and 2023 by not telling them of his diagnosis and knowingly having unprotected sex with them while not taking his medication.

Hassall said jurors may have decided they did "not like Adam Hall very much" but that was "not important".

He said what was important was they had to be sure the allegations were proven having considered the evidence in a "cool, fair and objective way" while "putting aside any sympathy, emotion or bias".

Hassall said the three-month long trial may have been an "education" for the jurors on the gay community and it was important they recognised "societal homophobia still exists".

It was that homophobia which could lead to a "feeling of shame and a reluctance" for a gay man to be "fully open to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" about themselves and sexual interactions with others, Hall's barrister said.

He told jurors there was also a "societal stigma against those living with HIV" that was "as old as HIV itself", and getting the virus might be "easier to bear" or explain "if you could blame someone else".

Hassall said the "central pillars" of the prosecution case were built on "weak foundations" of the complainants describing conversations about condoms they had with Hall many years ago and of which there was no record.

Alluding to an alleged conspiracy concocted by a rival of Hall's, Hassall said some of the men may have been "influenced" by the man who had said he was "going to [mess Hall] up" and that Hall "deserves lethal injection".

Hassall said he was not saying the complainants had made a "conscious specific decision to tell direct lies", but there were "clear and frankly obvious" reasons, such as "shame or embarrassment", for them to tell a different story to Hall.

He said the prosecution case against Hall was "anything but simple" and his preference for being dominant sexually and enjoying "rough sex" had been "weaponised against" him.

Mr Hassall said prosecutors had tried to suggest there was "something wrong or sinister" with Hall preferring to be the "top", or penetrative partner, but there were "plenty of people who are absolute fine with being the bottom" and "enjoy rougher or more vigorous sex".

In reference to scientific analysis that showed all of the complainants had a similar strain of HIV suggesting Hall might be the cause, Hassall said tests could "exclude" people as sources but "not definitely include" them.

He also said prosecutors claimed Hall targeted "vulnerable" young men but he could "not have known" they were so.

For example, one of the complainants was 15 at the time but was "lying about his age" on Grindr and voluntarily met up for sex with men, including Hall, while "expressing not a concern in the world".

At the end of her closing speech earlier, prosecutor Kama Melly KC told jurors the "volume of the combined voice of the men" who had given "brave, truthful and powerful" evidence was "deafening".

She said Hall had "fundamentally altered the path" of lives and had been "subtle and insidious" in his approach.

The prosecutor also said Hall targeted "vulnerable" but "happy [and] lively young" men.

Jurors have been told by Judge Edward Bindloss they must focus on the evidence and not be sidetracked by sympathy or moral concerns.

The trial, which began in November, continues.

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