HIV male rapist given four years

The victim had to wait to learn if he had HIV

A Big Issue seller who knew he was HIV positive and raped another man in Swansea city centre has been jailed for four years.

The teenage victim had to wait three months before doctors could tell him he had not contracted the disease.

Rates of HIV infection are on the increase in the UK

Swansea Crown Court heard that Alan Clune, 23, of no fixed address, knew he was both HIV positive and also had hepatitis B.

Clune admitted the offence and was ordered to register for life as a sex offender.

He had been drinking with two other homeless men in Swansea on 4 September, the day the rape occurred.

The court heard that the three made their way to St David's car park opposite the city's Leisure Centre to find a stairwell to sleep for the night.

One of the men left and the victim - who had fallen asleep - woke to find that he was being raped.

The 18-year-old man, who was originally from Oldham, managed to escape and ran to friends who called the police.

Clune got away but was later traced to Barry Island.

The defence counsel told the court Clune had been abused by his father until the age of 13 and later became a drug addict.

In July this year, he learnt he was HIV positive and had hepatitis.

'Torment'

Judge Christopher Morton said he accepted that Clune had had a difficult life, but so had his victim, who had been raped by a man when he was 12 years old.

The judge told Clune his victim had been "in torment" for three months while he waited to learn if he had contracted HIV.

The rape comes in a year in which new UK figures show the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV has risen by 25% over the last year.

The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) recorded 2,945 new diagnoses in the 12 months to the end of September - compared with 2,354 in the same period last year.

The laboratory says that its figures prove that there remains a significant problem with new infections - despite years of "safe sex" messages.

However, worldwide figures released this week show the UK's problem is tiny in comparison with the epidemic in southern Africa, and the growing outbreak in India and China.