Woman 'shut down' after HIV test

A health adviser has described the harrowing moment she told a young woman she had contracted HIV and Hepatitis C, allegedly from her boyfriend.

Sarah Cooper, 47, told the High Court in Glasgow that she broke the news to the woman, known only as Miss X, who "mentally shut down" when told.

Miss X alleges chef Giovanni Mola, 38, infected her after unprotected sex.

Mr Mola denies culpably and recklessly failing to disclose he had HIV and Hepatitis C to the danger of her life.

The chef, of Home Street, Edinburgh, also denies refusing to wear a condom and repeatedly engaging in sexual intercourse and oral sexual relations with Miss X whereby she became infected with HIV and Hepatitis C.

She grabbed hold of me and kept shaking me, then she sank down on her knees in front of me and said 'please say it's not true' and started sobbing Sexual health adviser Sarah Cooper

The offence is alleged to have taken place between September 2003 and February 2004 at an address in Home Street and elsewhere in the city.

Mrs Cooper, a trained nurse and midwife, told the court on Wednesday that she had been told the tests were positive before she spoke to Miss X.

She said: "I was very shocked.

"I said it couldn't be right, she was practically a virgin."

Mrs Cooper said she called Miss X through and told her that the tests had come back positive.

She added: "We had been smiling at each other but she then frowned and got angry and said 'stop saying that'.

"She grabbed hold of me and kept shaking me, then she sank down on her knees in front of me and said 'please say it's not true' and started sobbing.

"We just held each other. She was very distressed and I felt very distressed as well."

She added: "Miss X wasn't really functioning and had mentally shut down. I had to speak to her like she was a child."

Five-month relationship

The court heard that workers at the sexual health clinic were so concerned about Miss X they contacted the emergency psychiatric team at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital to see if they had a bed but then contacted her sister instead.

Previously the court heard Miss X brand Mr Mola, who she had a five-month relationship with, "a monster"

Mr Mola, who allegedly told Miss X he had had sex with 200 women, claims he wore a condom during any sexual contact.

But Miss X, who said she was a virgin before she met Mr Mola, denied this.

Jim Keegan, defending, said Mr Mola admitted he had not told Miss X he was HIV and Hep C positive but he had told her he had gone to a genital and urinary medical clinic.

The trial continues.