The schoolboy victims of dangerous sexual predator Adam Hall have spoken of their relief at 'being believed' as he was locked up for life. Hall, 43, travelled up and down the country looking for sexual encounters with inexperienced young men. Police said he was on a mission to infect as many people as possible with the HIV virus.
Victims' Impact Statements
Victims in the public gallery listened intently as a judge told Hall he could not apply for parole until he was 67 years old. Prosecutor Kama Melly KC embraced the victim who bravely read his impact statement from the witness box.
One victim, who bravely stood in the witness box to read his statement, said he was a 'carefree 17-year-old' still at school when he met Hall. He did not realise he was HIV positive until rashes started appearing all over his body. 'I blamed myself, the whole thing has had a huge impact on my life and left a massive hole in my heart,' he said. 'It was the mistake I made when I was just 17. It has changed me in ways that I can't explain.'
The youngest victim, aged 15 when infected, had just celebrated his 16th birthday when he received his diagnosis. He had just got off the school bus when a nurse called him from a sexual health clinic. 'My life changed instantly,' he said. 'Hall's disgustingly harmful actions, lies and deceitfulness have taken so much from me. His actions will have a negative impact on my life forever.'
Another victim said he was 'so happy and glad' when he heard Hall had been convicted. 'I just broke down there and then,' he said. 'I was believed. It was so important that the jury believed me. It felt like a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt so relieved.' Other people had judged him 'so many times' because of his diagnosis, and treatment would be a 'part of his life forever'. Another victim said a 'ten-day dalliance' had ruined his life.
Extensive Investigation
All the victim-survivors provided Victim Personal Statements to demonstrate the impact of the crimes and the lifelong physical and psychological effects of Hall's offending. The Mirror told how Hall travelled from his home in Donvale Road, Washington, Tyne and Wear to meet men in London, Manchester, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, County Durham, and Middlesbrough.
The extensive investigation into his predatory behaviour involved 35,000 hours of police time, seven dedicated detectives, 450 statements, 1,600 documents, 670 exhibits, and 37 witnesses who gave evidence at his trial. Blood samples had to be taken from victims and compared to Hall's blood to prove the allegation of HIV transmission.
Hall’s Refusal to Attend Court
Hall was transported from HMP Durham yesterday but refused to attend Newcastle Crown Court to face his victims. Sentencing him to life, with a minimum term of 23 years and 42 days, His Honour Judge Edward Bindloss said his refusal to attend was 'entirely in keeping with the indifference shown to the suffering of others'. Addressing Hall as if he were in court, the judge said: 'You were convicted of seven counts of GBH. You knew you had been HIV positive since 2010 and put partners at risk without condoms. The evidence was clear: you did not take drugs and made the virus transmissible. You lied to your sexual partners, misled them, and failed to inform them afterward.'
'It is a pattern of behaviour that operated over six to seven years. The facts of this case make the life sentence justifiable. This is a high culpability case because you risked the transfer of HIV.'
Convictions and Ongoing Investigation
Hall raped four young men to whom he gave HIV, which was a 'pattern of behaviour'. He was found guilty of five counts of rape and seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent through the intentional transmission of the HIV virus. He was further found guilty of supplying a controlled drug (GHB) and failing to comply with a police investigation after refusing to provide the password to his phone. The offences related to seven victim-survivors, between 2016 and 2023.
Hall had denied the offences but on Thursday, March 5, following a four-month long trial, was found guilty. As part of the sentence, Hall will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Police Appeal
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Smith, of Northumbria Police, said: 'Adam Hall has now been sentenced to life imprisonment for his abhorrent offending. We remain exceptionally grateful to the victim-survivors who came forward to report Hall’s crimes and who have bravely supported our investigation. It is because of them that this sexual predator is now behind bars and will be closely monitored for the rest of his life. I hope the outcome can provide some sort of closure for them and allow them to move forward with their lives – if that is at all possible.'
She added: 'We can confirm we have an ongoing investigation into further reports made in relation to Adam Hall. Our priority firmly remains supporting anyone who has been impacted by Hall’s actions in whatever way we can. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of a criminal offence is encouraged to come forward to ourselves.'
