AN alleged victim of a hairdresser accused of infecting his lovers with HIV considered him to be his boyfriend, a court heard.

The man claimed Daryll Rowe, 26, deliberately injured him during sex in order to transmit the disease.

Rowe is accused of forcing the young complainant into rough sex to make him vulnerable to infection.

He is charged with four counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and six counts of attempted grievous bodily harm in relation to ten men.

He demanded unprotected sex with his partners, claiming to be free of the virus, or tampered with the condom when they insisted he used one, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Yesterday the court was told how one of the complainants had only had one previous partner and considered Rowe to be his boyfriend

In his taped police interview, the alleged victim, who met Rowe on Grindr, said he had trusted him when he said he was free of HIV and consented to sex without a condom.

The complainant told officers he believed Rowe deliberately injured him internally during sex to have a better chance of transmitting the virus.

He said: “He seemed really relaxed about what he had done and I honestly felt that he had done it on purpose because it’s easier to contract something that way and that’s when I started to feel like something wasn’t right.”

A few weeks later, when the complainant started to fall ill with symptoms consistent with exposure to the HIV virus, Rowe tried to prevent him leaving his flat and returning to his family.

He was suffering from aches, shivers, a sore throat and swollen glands and lost almost a stone in a week.

“He was nice to me, giving me baths. He was really into reflexology and he was massaging my hands and my feet,” said the complainant. Looking back at what was going on it’s almost like he was keeping me away from home – because I like being at home. I’m a bit of a mummy’s boy.”

When Rowe eventually allowed him to return home, he became angry and abusive when the complainant forgot to text him that evening.

One text read: “You haven’t text me all day. I think we should think about ending this.”

A few days later he received a string of abusive text messages.

One said: “You’re a f****** psychopath, you’re afraid of your own shadow. I can do much better than you. I’m way, way out of your league.”

Another message read: “No one will ever love you.”

The complainant said that during their brief relationship Rowe was jealous and controlling and texted him constantly.

He told police: “I have friends with mental health issues. I felt there was something up with him but nothing major. I didn’t want to be shallow and judgmental.”

Rowe would get angry when he did not text back immediately, the complainant said.

He added: “I was so worried about saying things and him not liking it. I felt a bit trapped.”

He eventually blocked Rowe on all social media platforms and on his phone to stop the flow of abuse from him.

A few weeks later the complainant was diagnosed as HIV positive.

The trial continues.