HIV Warning after Hundreds of Women May Have Been Infected
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October 6, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Police fear hundreds of women may have unsuspectingly contracted HIV after man convicted on Wednesday for knowingly infecting his partner.
Simon McClure was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail on Wednesday after infecting a woman with HIV, and police fear there maybe many more.
Convicted of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), the Teeside Crown Court heard how Mr McClure had ignored doctors’ advice not to have unprotected sex when one of his sexual partners discovered she had contracted HIV via a routine blood test after falling pregnant with his child.
Going into premature labour the day after she received the results, it was only recently that tests revealed the victim’s baby had fortunately not been infected by the virus as well.
Judge Howard Crowson, commenting on McClure’s actions during the sentencing, said: “Any form of intimate sexual relationship has a degree of mutual trust and you breached it by what you did.”
The woman, who was only identified by her initials in court to protect her identity, commented in a victim impact statement: “My life will never be normal again.”
Outside the court yesterday, Detective Inspector Andy Greenwood from Cleveland Police, said: “The victim will suffer for the rest of her life through the reckless and callous behaviour of this individual.
He advised: “If anybody has any information in relation to McClure they should come forward … He has now been sentenced to an appropriate period of custody, so they can come forward now and tell us about it and we can take the appropriate action.”
After being diagnosed in 2006, 38-year old McClure is thought to have slept with hundreds of other women, including prostitutes, as well as being a frequent visitor to Switzerland and Thailand where he is believed to have initially contracted the virus.
Anyone with information should ring Cleveland police on 01642 326326 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
By Laura Beard
[Image Courtesy of Trygve.u]
