By Declan Brennan

The trial of a man accused of intentionally or recklessly harming two women by infecting them with HIV has heard evidence that virus samples from all three people showed the same mutation.

It is the State's case that the African national was aware of his diagnosis when he infected the women and that this amounted to serious harm.

The 28-year-old cannot be named to protect the identities of the complainants in the case. He has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to two former partners on dates between November 2009 and June 2010.

The trial has reached closing stages with the end of the State's evidence today. Lawyers from both sides are scheduled to give closing speeches tomorrow.

On day nine of the trial the jury heard evidence that there are nine sub-types of strains of the virus and some of these are associated with certain populations or continents.

Andrew Leigh-Browne, a professor of evolutionary genetics from the University of Edinburgh, told the Paul Greene SC, defending, that the subtype B is not associated with the continent of Africa.

He said it was unknown in the accused man's country of origin. He said this was the first criminal trial he had given expert advice on where phylogenetic analysis was not carried out.

Under cross-examination he told Dominic McGinn SC, prosecuting, that such an analysis was effective at excluding potential sources of infection but agreed that “it can never actually establish that one person gave it to another”.

Dr Cillian De Gascun from the National Virus Reference Laboratory told Mr McGinn that he analysed the genetic sequence of the HIV virus obtained from blood samples of the defendant and the two complainants.

He said all three viruses were of the B-type strain, which is the strain in 12% of cases globally and half of Irish cases. He said a specific mutation was identified in a 2008 sample from the defendant, a May 2010 sample from one complainant and in 2010 and 2012 samples from the second complainant.

He said these comparisons cannot confirm transmission from one person to another but meant it could not be excluded.

The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury of nine women and three men.