A British diplomat paid the one-way air fare for his gay African lover to travel to England and claim asylum, so they could continue their illicit affair, a court heard.

High Commission attache Christopher Henderson told the court he met the defendant, then aged 18, while he was on Government business in Malawi and moved him into his official residence in the country's capital.

Mr Henderson, now 38, confirmed he had a gay relationship with the musician, which started in 1995.

He told Teesside Crown Court that under Malawi law homosexuality was illegal.

He was speaking during the trial of Mr Konzani, 28, who is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to four women in England by inflicting them with HIV during unprotected sex.

The court was told that Mr Henderson, who worked as a political attache for the High Commission in Malawi, had unprotected sex with Mr Konzani after giving him a job as a trainee houseboy at his official residence.

After he returned to England, the pair kept in touch through a mutual friend in Malawi, to the point where he sent money to cover his air fare to England.

The court was told that the diplomat also faxed immigration advice to Mr Konzani and added a note which read: "Destroy this once you have read it."

Mr Henderson admitted that he wanted Konzani to be granted asylum so that they could continue their affair.

Teesside Crown Court has heard that Mr Konzani is said to have later started a number of long-term relationships with the four women, despite knowing he carried the virus.

They range in age from 15 to 37 and include an African and three English women.

Mr Konzani has pleaded not guilty in relation to the women, referred to in court as Miss V, Miss Y, Miss X and Miss W, between November 2000 and August 2003.

Mr Konzani was diagnosed with the condition after one girlfriend, an Italian woman, who became pregnant by him discovered she had it and made him have the test.

One of his former lovers, Miss V, a 37-year-old woman who now lives in the Midlands, said she did not want to believe she had the disease after police contacted her during an investigation into her former partner.

She told the court Mr Konzani had said he had HIV check-ups every six months and his tests were negative.

Miss V said she felt angry towards him after he had laughed at her when she suggested she was surprised he had not caught a sexual disease because of the lifestyle he led.

A student who gave birth to Mr Konzani's child after contracting HIV told the court she feared she had just a few years to live.

Miss G said she had loved the defendant and decided not to terminate the pregnancy, despite having the disease.

In November 2000, the day after the pair were said to have found out at a Middlesbrough hospital they had the virus, she claimed Mr Konzani told her they would get married and bring up the child.

She told the jury: "At the time, my life was in pieces and I thought the few years I had left to live I could spend with Feston and have the family together, as I did love him and this was the best way.

"Feston said he was so sorry about the harm he had caused me and he was aware that he had infected me."

The trial continues.