Deported man extradited over reckless HIV infection jailed

Jermaine Scott was extradited from Jamaica to face justice in the UK

A man who was deported for being in the UK illegally following an investigation into him infecting a woman with HIV has been jailed 14 years after the offence.

Jermaine Scott was arrested in February 2011 on suspicion of recklessly infecting a woman in 2009 but was later released due to a lack of evidence.

He was deported to Jamaica nine months later, but extradited back to the UK in 2022 after new evidence came to light.

He was jailed for three years after pleading guilty at Chester Crown Court.

Cheshire Police said the 39-year-old was diagnosed with HIV in 2005 and had been prescribed medication to minimise the risk of transmission to others.

The force said Scott, who was from Jamaica, was not regularly taking the tablets when he had unprotected sex with a woman in 2009 and failed to tell her he had HIV.

The woman later tested positive for HIV and Scott fled Cheshire.

'Forever marred'

A force representative said Scott was arrested in February 2011 after a public appeal to find him, but the case was later closed as he refused to answers any questions and "despite a detailed investigation, officers were unable to gather sufficient evidence to charge him".

He was subsequently deported from the UK in November 2011 after it was found that he was in the country illegally.

The representative said shortly after that deportation, the woman asked for the case to be reopened and officers worked with medical experts to establish when the woman was infected.

They said a "number of genetic links between the strain of HIV that the victim had been diagnosed with and that of the offender" were also identified.

As a result, a charge of grievous bodily harm was brought against Scott in February 2020 and he was extradited back to the UK in 2022.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Sgt Emma Myers said the woman would "live the rest of her life forever marred by the actions of Scott".

"It has taken more than 12 years to reach this point, and having supported the victim throughout the investigation, I have seen first-hand the pain and suffering that she has endured, both physically and psychologically," she said.

"Scott's actions have also affected her relationships with others and she no longer trusts men.

"While no sentence will ever be enough, I do hope that the fact that Scott is now behind bars and has been held accountable will provide her with some closure."

CORRECTION - 5 April 2023: The headline and second paragraph have been amended to make clear Jermaine Scott was jailed for recklessly infecting a woman.

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