Former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas has settled a authorized case with an ex-partner who had accused him of “deceptively” transmitting HIV.
Ian Baum sued Mr Thomas within the High Court for allegedly hiding his HIV standing and “failing to take reasonable care” to not cross the virus on.
Mr Thomas, 48, can pay £75,000 plus prices however stated he has not admitted legal responsibility by settling, including that he maintains his innocence “in all the meritless allegations”.
Mr Baum, a former police constable who was in a relationship with the retired rugby union star between 2013 and 2016, claimed he was HIV unfavorable once they acquired collectively, court docket papers stated.
The paperwork stated Mr Baum seen the previous sportsman was taking tablets from bottles which had the labels ripped off them however was advised they had been multi-vitamins.
He claimed he discovered the tablets had been an HIV anti-viral medicine known as GSK1 after looking for them on Google.
Mr Baum stated he “immediately” went to get a speedy HIV take a look at and was “devastated” and “went into shock” when he discovered he was constructive.
‘Unpleasant chapter’
The court docket papers stated: “By transmitting HIV to the claimant, the defendant has caused him serious physical and psychological injury.
“That data, had it change into publicly recognized, would have been extraordinarily damaging to the defendant’s public popularity as an individual who had spoken out about his homosexuality and LGBTQ points.
“Since that time the defendant has portrayed himself as a spokesperson for LGBT issues without ever revealing that he deceptively transmitted HIV to the claimant in 2014.
“The defendant knowingly lied to the claimant about his HIV standing and had coerced the claimant into having unprotected sexual activity when he knew that by doing so he was placing the claimant susceptible to contracting HIV.”
McCue Jury and Partners, the legal firm representing Mr Baum, said in a statement: “Ian stood up for himself towards the chances. Ian is wanting ahead to placing this disagreeable chapter of his life behind him.”
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Settlement for ‘mental health’ and family
Mr Thomas said on Twitter: “In private harm circumstances like this the accuser has no monetary dangers even when they lose, however for me profitable had big monetary implications. Paying £75,000 plus prices now could be nothing in comparison with the various multiples of that sum I’d have needed to pay to efficiently defend myself in court docket.
“For my own mental health and that of my family, this closure and acceptance from the other side is a hugely positive outcome.”
Mr Thomas, who received 100 caps for Wales and represented the nation in 4 Rugby World Cups, made historical past in 2009 when he grew to become the primary overtly homosexual rugby participant on this planet.
He publicly revealed he was dwelling with HIV in 2019 and has campaigned to boost consciousness of the situation by the Terrence Higgins Trust charity of which he’s patron.
Source: information.sky.com”