HIV carrier 'infected two women'

A man took a "reckless gamble" with the lives of two of his lovers by knowingly infecting them with HIV, a court heard today.

Mohammed Dica, 37, preyed on two "vulnerable" women and insisted on having unprotected sex with them after he had been diagnosed with the virus.

Dica, who denies two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm by passing on the virus, even falsely claimed he had had a vasectomy and therefore did not need to use a condom, Inner London Crown Court was told.

Mark Gadsden, prosecuting, told the jury: "This defendant picked upon these vulnerable women, wooed them and then proceeded to have sex with them, knowing all along that he was HIV positive. He had taken this reckless gamble with these complainants' health, and their lives." The court was told that Dica, of Mitcham, Surrey, was diagnosed with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) in 1996.

A year later he met his first victim and began a sexual relationship with her by the end of 1997.

The 36-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said her marriage had come to an end when she was first introduced to Dica by her cousin.

The woman came to Britain from Mogadishu in 1994 on a Swedish passport.

Describing her first impression of Dica, who she met in Hounslow, she said: 'He was a very nice chap at the time. 'He was kind, caring. He was very friendly and social.'

She added: "He was there to support me and we became very close.

"He was saying all the right words at the right time. He was there for me every minute, a shoulder to cry on."

When the couple first had sex, the woman asked Dica to use a condom because she was afraid of becoming pregnant, but he refused, claiming he had had a vasectomy.

She added: "He said he was sure I would not get pregnant.

"After we finished, he said: 'I'm so sorry, please forgive me, God forgive me.'"

She said Dica would repeat these words every time after they made love throughout their relationship.

"I think he knew what he was doing. He was deliberately infecting me with the disease that he was carrying," she added.

Six months after the couple first had sex, the woman consulted her GP after developing thrush and severely swollen glands in her neck.

Her GP suspected she had flu. But after she had blood tests, she was "really shocked" to learn she had the Aids virus. After a number of tests, she was eventually diagnosed HIV positive in October 1998.

When she confronted Dica, he said: "I don't have it, I don't have it. I'm not HIV positive. This is a homosexual disease.

"It is a disease of cursed people, people who have been cursed by God."

Dica claimed he had been tested negative at West Middlesex Hospital in west London.

Their relationship came to a bitter end at the beginning of 1999, she said. The woman sobbed: "I'm on medication, and I will be for the rest of my life." The case continues.