A MAN convicted of knowingly infecting an 82-year-old woman with HIV has been sentenced to three years in jail for breaching an order banning him from contacting people over the age of 60.

Passing sentence at Exeter Crown Court yesterday, Recorder Ian Pringle said he found Derek Hornett's pre-sentence report "very disturbing".

In December 2005, Hornett was jailed for three years and three months for causing a woman in her 80s grievous bodily harm after he deliberately began a relationship with her because of her secure financial position.

This led to the woman becoming HIV positive.

After his conviction in 2005, Hornett, who at the time lived in Ramshill Road, Paington, was also made the subject of a sexual offences protection order which prevented him from associating with, or working for, anyone over the age of 60.

Last month, he pleaded guilty at Exeter Magistrates' Court to four separate breaches of the order, concerning four separate woman.

Magistrates were told Hornett, who now lives in the Whitestone area of Exeter, sent a number of suggestive Valentine's Day cards and chocolates to a woman in her 60s.

He also admitted charges relating to three other women, whose ages ranged from 66 to 83.

Neil Lawson, prosecuting, said Hornett changed his name to James Defalco when he offered to clean windows and carry out other handyman-type jobs for the four women. Initially, the women agreed, but later grew suspicious and refused his offers.

Mr Lawson highlighted repeated attempts by Hornett to make contact with one of the women. Over a number of months, Hornett approached the woman, who had lived alone for about 13 years, asking for cigarettes.

This developed into making overtures as to whether she had any jobs that needed doing. The woman agreed to have an internal door fixed for £10.

Hornett then increased the intensity of his contact and sent the woman a number of Valentine's Day cards in red envelopes. One read: "We should get dressed up and go out or we could get undressed and stay in. Happy Valentine's Day."

Mr Lawson said the woman was "shocked" to get the cards.

Increasingly wary of Hornett's behaviour, the woman turned "detective" and started to research the name James Defalco. She discovered his real name and came across local newspaper cuttings about his prevention order and reported it to the police.

Martin Salloway, mitigating, told Exeter Crown Court yesterday Hornett was seeing a psychiatrist and "recognised that he has got difficulties".

Hornett's HIV was "on the brink of becoming full-blown Aids" and his illness would make his time in jail more "onerous".

He added Hornett's wife, who was in court, was also terminally ill and the defendant was her full-time carer.

Passing sentence, Mr Pringle said he was certain Hornett had been trying to develop a sexual relationship with one of the women to whom the charges related and added: "It's difficult to imagine a more flagrant breach than that."

He sentenced Hornett to two years for the first breach and 12 months for each of the other three. He said the 12-month sentences would be served concurrently with one another but consecutively with the two-year sentence.