A HAIRDRESSER told a man who contracted HIV after they had sex that “moaning about it” would not cure him, a court heard.

The alleged victim texted Daryll Rowe in January last year to tell him he had been diagnosed with the virus after they met in Brighton and slept together using a condom.

Rowe responded by saying: “Moaning about it and thinking about it all the time won’t cure you,” Lewes Crown Court heard yesterday.

The 27-year-old is on trial facing allegations he deliberately tried to infect 10 men with the virus by having unprotected sex or by tampering with condoms.

At his cross-examination continued, Caroline Carberry QC, prosecuting, said: “You knew you had infected him.

“You were behaving in this emotional way to make him feel bad about making you feel bad.”

Rowe responded: “It’s a text message.”

Ms Carberry told the court the alleged victim, who was older and a professional, was “playing detective” to try and get the truth.

Rowe said: “The way he was texting, it was like he was trying to get information out of me and I didn’t feel comfortable.”

Ms Carberry responded: “You did not feel comfortable because you knew he was on to you.”

“No,” Rowe replied.

The court heard when Rowe learned of the man’s positive diagnosis, he continued to ask to meet him for sex.

Ms Carberry said: “You were really persistent. We don’t need to look at the number of times that you tell him you want to have sex with him. But it went into the double figures.”

Rowe told the man over text that if he took antiretroviral drugs it would make him less infectious and they could have unprotected sex, jurors were told.

Ms Carberry asked why he did not tell the man that drinking his own urine would cure him, as he claimed to believe.

The court previously heard Rowe refused antiretroviral medication because he read online that urine therapy would cure him.

After a long pause he said: “I was embarrassed,” later adding: “I thought it would put him off me.”

Rowe repeatedly shook his head while on the stand, answering at times with a forceful “no”, and saying he had already answered certain points and was having to repeat himself.

Judge Christine Henson QC reminded him to speak clearly as the proceedings were being recorded, because he had “developed a habit” of nodding and shaking his head in response, rather than speaking.

Rowe, originally from Edinburgh and now of no fixed address, denies ten charges - five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and five counts of attempting to do so.

The court was shown an example of condoms Rowe is alleged to have sabotaged.

Wearing protective gloves, Ms Carberry showed how the wrapper had a small rip which, she said, allowed the condom to be removed, while still appearing to show it had not been opened.

Jurors were shown how the top of the condom had been ripped before being placed back into the packet.

She said this was Rowe’s “doing” and accused him of having his own “stash” of “sabotaged” condoms that had been purposely ripped to infect his alleged victims.

The court heard Rowe had unprotected sex on three occasions with a young and “sexually inexperienced” man who then became unwell.

It was alleged this was the eighth man in as many weeks Rowe had tried to infect in the Brighton area.

Rowe nursed him and looked after him, the court heard.

He admitted in court “for a moment” he recognised the symptoms were similar to those he experienced shortly after contracting the virus.

When the man went back home to be looked after by his parents and the pair split up, Rowe started to send him “nasty” texts, calling him a “pathetic loser”, jurors were told.

He denied keeping another alleged victim “hanging” by not responding when he repeatedly asked whether he was clean of the virus after they had sex.

Ms Carberry said: “Did his desperation to know the truth not prick your conscience at all?”

He said: “I don’t remember, it was two years ago. I don’t remember getting all these messages.”

She branded him a “comfortable liar” after the court heard he gave police false information during interview.

He said: “I didn’t think I was lying, I thought I was cured.”

Ms Carberry claimed he never told police that he had been “miraculously” cured from HIV by drinking his own urine because:

“The fact is you hadn’t thought of that excuse or explanation at the time. That’s something you concocted later to try and slither out of these allegations.”

He claimed he did not think the police would understand.

The court previously heard Rowe told police he “never” went to the houses of people he met on gay dating app Grindr.

But, when questioned on this on the stand, he said he meant he would not go if he was at home but he might if he was already out or at the gym.

Rowe will return to the stand when the trial continues on Monday.