Common knowledge rape accused had HIV, jurors told

Adam Hall is on trial at Newcastle Crown Court

This article contains sexual details some people may find distressing

It was "common knowledge" a man accused of deliberately infecting men with HIV had the virus, jurors have been told.

Adam Hall, 43, met young men in bars in Newcastle or on dating apps, the city's crown court heard.

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

A relative of one of the men Mr Hall is accused of raping and infecting said he would have warned the 18-year-old complainant of the accused's HIV status if he had known the pair were possibly going to have a sexual encounter.

Prosecutors have said Mr Hall knew he was HIV positive, having been diagnosed in 2010, but did not tell sexual partners, did not use protection and did not take the drugs he should have done to make him non-infectious.

The court heard the teenage complainant had recently moved to Newcastle when he met Mr Hall at a bar in the city in 2016, with Mr Hall allegedly going on to rape him at the defendant's home.

'Be very careful'

Afterwards, the teenager, who cannot be legally identified, took a test and was found to be HIV positive, the court heard.

The teen's relative said he knew Mr Hall and it was "common knowledge" on the gay scene in Newcastle that the defendant had HIV.

He said the teenager told him he had gone for a drink with Mr Hall and then back to Mr Hall's home where the accused raped him.

The man told jurors: "Apparently [the teenager] said no but Adam just carried on."

The teenager was "upset" when he later told his relative about it, the court heard.

The man said had he known there was a chance the teenager would have had sexual contact with Mr Hall, he would have "warned" his younger relative about Mr Hall's HIV status and told him to "be very careful".

"I'd known for quite a long time Adam was HIV positive," the man said, before adding: "It wasn't my business to tell other people."

Jurors also heard details about another man Mr Hall is accused of raping but not infecting with HIV, who the court has already heard witness testimony from.

In 2015, the man, then aged 20, made a report to police claiming Mr Hall had raped him, the court heard.

Mr Hall was interviewed but told officers sexual contact was consensual, with the case progressing no further, jurors heard.

The court heard the man had reported someone tried to rape him while he walked through a park in 2014, but went on to admit he had made the allegation up.

The trial continues.