A 28-year-old African asylum seeker was jailed for 10 years today for causing grievous bodily harm to three women by infecting them with HIV through sex.

Feston Konzani was charged with infecting the women, aged between 15 and 27, between November 2000 and August 2003.

The musician admitted infecting the three women with the virus but denied causing them GBH, Teesside Crown Court heard.

All of the offences were carried out in the Middlesbrough area, where Konzani was living at the time.

A jury of eight men and four women took less than three hours to convict Konzani unanimously on all three charges.

Judge Peter Fox told Konzani: ''The GBH which you inflicted falls into the category of the very worst sort for not only are the lives of these young women to be very substantially curtailed.

''You knew all along you had the infection and you know you should have told them.

''Whether it was your pride or lust which stood in the way, it matters not.''

Konzani was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison after being given one four-year sentence and two three-year sentences to run consecutively.

The court was told that Konzani will be deported to Malawi when he has served his prison sentence.