A Worcestershire man has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after infecting a woman with HIV, having deliberately stopped his treatment and concealed his diagnosis from her.
A Deliberate Concealment and a 'Life Sentence'
Luke Davis, 31, of Kidderminster, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm at Hereford Crown Court. The court heard that Davis was diagnosed with HIV in 2017 but chose to completely disengage from his medical care in 2019. He did not inform his sexual partner of his condition.
His victim only discovered she was HIV positive in 2021 during a routine health screening. In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, she described the diagnosis as "the darkest time in my life," leaving her feeling physically sick. "To me, it's a life sentence as I will never be, or see myself as, the same," she said.
Judge Condemns 'Entirely Selfish' Actions
Passing sentence, Judge Martin Jackson stated that Davis had chosen not to disclose his HIV status for "entirely selfish reasons." The judge emphasised that Davis had been given clear advice from healthcare professionals about using protection and informing future partners, which he "chose to ignore."
"I'm satisfied that somebody … who chooses not to tell that other person they are carrying a condition such as HIV, who chooses to ignore advice … does so, in my view, with a significant degree of premeditation," Judge Jackson said. He added that the victim now lives with the constant, serious threat posed by the virus.
Investigation and Wider Appeal
The court was told of mitigating personal tragedies in Davis's life, including the loss of his 13-month-old baby in 2017 and his grandfather from Covid in 2020, for which he blamed himself. However, this did not excuse his actions.
Following Davis being reported to police, an investigation revealed he had been regularly sexually promiscuous and had several other partners. West Mercia Police, working with public health officials, issued an appeal for other potential victims to come forward. To date, no further victims have been identified.
After the sentencing, Giovanni D'Alessandro, a senior crown prosecutor, said: "We hope the sentence imposed provides some measure of justice to the victim and dissuades others from this type of dangerous and reckless behaviour."
