A MAN yesterday admitted he had deliberately and maliciously infected his wife of more than 10 years with the deadly HIV virus.
Ryan James Montgomery, 37, in Parramatta local court pleaded guilty to maliciously causing a grievous bodily disease.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years jail.
Montgomery will be sentenced in Penrith district court on August 1.
Montgomery, who is on a disability pension, infected his long-time partner and mother of his three children with HIV some time between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 2003.
His partner only found out she had contracted the disease when the couple's youngest child was diagnosed with HIV in mid-1998. The child died in September 2001 from an AIDS illness.
Montgomery and his former partner started dating in 1994 when he was 24 and she was 16. The first time they slept together, the victim claims she asked him to wear a condom, but Montgomery refused, saying "Do I look like I've got AIDS?".
Montgomery had been aware he carried the disease since he was 18.
Montgomery was arrested on December 6 and was originally denied bail because he was considered a danger to the community because of the attitude he displayed about infecting his former partner with the disease.
Montgomery was supported in court yesterday by his mother and current partner.
