Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 6941Causing serious harm (HIV infection)

Supreme Court quashes HIV infection conviction

A 33-year-old man was tried in the Circuit Court in 2018 and convicted of causing serious harm to two women, his partners, by allegedly infecting them with HIV in offences alleged to have been committed between November 2009 and June 2010. He denied the charges and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against conviction the previous year. On 14 December 2023 the Supreme Court quashed the conviction, finding flaws in the trial judge's guidance to the jury on the scientific and witness evidence, and lawyers for the DPP are now considering whether to retry him.

  1. Reported
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
A man's conviction for causing serious harm to two partners by allegedly infecting them with HIV was quashed by the Supreme Court.
Where
The man's 2018 trial was held in the Circuit Court, and no county is given in the sources.
When
The offences were alleged to have been committed on dates between November 2009 and June 2010.
Other details
The victims are two women who were the man's partners, and the suspect is a 33-year-old man whose name is not given.
In court
  • The man denied the charges against him.
  • The Court of Appeal dismissed the man's appeal against conviction the previous year.
  • The Supreme Court said the 2018 case appears to be the first prosecution of its kind in this State.
  • The Supreme Court found flaws in how the trial judge guided the jury on the scientific analysis of virus samples and the personal witness evidence.
  • The prosecution's case depended on circumstantial evidence, so it had to establish there was no reasonable possibility that either woman was infected another way.
Sentence
The man was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Investigation
Lawyers for the DPP are considering whether to retry the man.
10 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe Supreme Court quashed the man's conviction for causing serious harm to two partners by infecting them with HIV. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offences were alleged to have been committed on dates between November 2009 and June 2010. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationLawyers for the DPP are considering whether to retry the man. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe court said the 2018 case appears to be the first prosecution of its kind in this State. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe court found flaws in how the trial judge guided the jury on the scientific analysis of virus samples and the personal witness evidence. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe prosecution's case depended on circumstantial evidence, so it had to establish there was no reasonable possibility either woman was infected another way. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man's 2018 trial was held in the Circuit Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man denied the charges against him. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe Court of Appeal dismissed the man's conviction appeal the previous year. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to 10 years in jail. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 14 Dec2023
    Otheririshtimes.com, first report
    Supreme Court quashes man’s first-of-its-kind conviction for infecting two women with HIV

    Supreme Court quashed the 2018 Circuit Court conviction on appeal; the DPP is considering a retrial. The article gives no trial county.

    convicted, 33, malevictim, femalevictim, female