A hairdresser who boasted he was "riddled" with HIV has been handed a life sentence after deliberately trying to infect 10 men with the virus.

Daryll Rowe was sentenced for five charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was jailed of a minimum of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a "determined hateful campaign of sly violence".

"You are the first individual to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV," she said

"With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

"Unfortunately for five of the men you met your campaign was successful."

The judge added: "They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you."

During his six-week trial last year, the court heard how Rowe embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to target the men he met on gay dating app Grindr in Brighton and the North East between October 2015 and December 2016.

It emerged that Rowe told an Aids and HIV charity worker who was diagnosed after they were involved that "moaning" would not cure him.

The volunteer had never had unprotected sex and had tests every six months.

He said he made sure Rowe wore a condom but was then diagnosed with the virus.

The victim described the news of his diagnosis as like being "hit by a bus", adding: "You feel like your life is over. You feel like you should go to a high place and jump."

Rowe boasted he was "riddled with diseases" when another victim found a broken condom in the sink after their encounter.

The hairdresser told his first victim in a text: "I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!" after they had sex.

Rowe, who is originally from Edinburgh, repeatedly denied having unprotected sex, or tampering with condoms, in a bid to infect others with the virus he had been diagnosed with months earlier.

Judge Henson added during his sentencing: "Given the facts of this case and your permissive predatory behaviour I cannot see when you would no longer be a danger to gay men.

"In my judgment the offences, taken together, are so serious, that a life sentence is justified.

"You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life."

Additional reporting by Press Association