Gareth Thomas: No HIV legal action regrets - rugby star's ex

Gareth Thomas' ex-partner has said he does not regret taking legal action against the former rugby star.

Ian Baum accused Mr Thomas, 48, of "deceptively" transmitting HIV to him during their three-year relationship.

The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain settled the case for £75,000 plus costs without admitting liability or guilt.

Mr Baum told BBC Wales: "I didn't want to go through life with regrets and I wanted closure."

Despite settling the case, Mr Thomas maintained the allegations were "meritless."

In court papers filed last year, Mr Baum said he was HIV negative when the relationship began in 2013.

He alleged Mr Thomas hid his HIV status and only discovered the diagnosis when he found antiviral HIV medication.

"I went straight to a clinic and had a super duper quick blood test and within 10/15 minutes, it came back that I was positive," Mr Baum said.

"I was devastated. I hadn't even, at 52, Googled HIV or knew what it all meant. All these thoughts were going through your head. I was completely floored."

In a series of tweets, former international Thomas maintained his innocence.

He told his 298,000 followers: "In personal injury cases like these the accuser has no financial risks even if they lose, but for me winning had huge financial implications.

"Paying £75,000 plus costs now is nothing compared to the many multiples of that sum I'd have to pay to successfully defend myself in court.

"For my own mental health and that of my family, the closure and acceptance from the other side is a hugely positive outcome."

Mr Baum said he had no regrets pursuing legal action: "I used to hear my parents say 'I wish we'd done this' or 'I wish we'd done that'.

"I didn't want to go through life with any regrets. If if I didn't push this as far as I could push it, it would have been one of the biggest regrets of my life [and] I wouldn't have got my closure."

Thomas was one of Wales' biggest sports stars during a 16-year rugby career that included spells at Bridgend, Cardiff and Toulouse.

He played 100 times for his country, including captaining Wales to the 2005 Grand Slam. He was also Wales' record try-scorer until he was surpassed by Shane Williams in 2008.

Mr Baum said he knew very little about the sportsman, widely known as Alfie, when they first met.

"I didn't know anything about his past, I just fell in love with the man and his sense of humour and him," he recalled.

"All we did was laugh and he was such a breath of fresh air."

Mr Thomas became the first openly gay professional rugby union player when he came out in 2009.

He switched to rugby league before retiring in 2011 and has since forged successful career as a pundit and commentator.

In 2019, he revealed he had HIV, saying he wanted to end the stigma around it - a decision was widely applauded with high profile supporters including Prince William.

Mr Baum, who now lives and works in south-west England said he bears no ill-will towards his former partner.

Asked what he would do if he saw him in the street, he said: "I would wish him and his family well. That's my closure. I can move on."