Government Department Officials have been called on to give evidence this week during the high-profile case of a man alleged to have knowingly spread HIV.
The court heard that Michael John Neal of Coburg, Victoria allegedly admitted to having unsafe sex, despite knowing he was HIV-positive.
Tom Carter, a nurse in the Partner Notification Office at the Department of Health Services, told the jury that Neal disclosed to him on January 2003 that he had unprotected sex in a sex-on-premises venue.
Neal, 49, has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges, including rape, deliberately causing another person to be infected with HIV, and attempting to infect. He has been accused of infecting two men with HIV and attempting to infect another 12 from 2001 to 2006.
The court was told that in 2002, when approached by the Department of Health Services regarding allegations about his sexual conduct, Neal denied having unsafe sex and said that his sexual partners were aware of his HIV status.
The court also heard from Dr Ban Kiem Tee from the Centre Clinic, St Kilda, who said he treated Neal in 2002 for sexually transmitted diseases, after Neal told him he had group sex with five men. The court heard that Neal was given three written warnings from the department over the continued allegations.
The jury was told that in a meeting with DHS officials in January 2003, Neal admitted to having unsafe sex at a sex-on-premises venue. However, the defence said that notes made on that day by Carter did not indicate the HIV status of Neal’s alleged sexual partners.
The jury heard that in July 2003, Neal was issued a letter from the acting chief health officer, Dr John Carney, banning him from sex-on-premises venues. The order was later amended, requiring Neal to contact DHS officials every day.
Carter said in May 2004 he and his colleague had visited Neal, who revealed he had a ‘session with his important boys’, two of whom were HIV-positive and one negative, and that the negative person was aware of Neal’s status.
The court heard that in April 2005, Neal expressed frustration with the ‘interference’ in his life by the department, and said that if they had any further complaints about his sexual behaviour, they should take the matter up with the police.
The trial is continuing from last week, when the jury was told Neal wore a piercing on his genitals in order to deliberately spread the virus to other men.
The jury also heard that a man allegedly contracted HIV from Neal after meeting him at the Gatehouse Hotel in Collingwood in October 2000. The court was told Neal had been diagnosed in June 2000.
The jury was told by the prosecution that the man was ‘besotted’ with Neal and had registered himself as a Rottweiler with a local council and given Neal the tags and collar as a gift.
The case is being heard by Judge David Parsons in the Victorian County Court.
—
This article appears courtesy of Andie Noonan and bnews.
