LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled that a man who infected his ex-wife with HIV while they were married must pay her 12.5 million dollars, according to court documents released on Monday.

    Judge Rolf M. Treu made the tentative ruling after taking the case under submission Oct. 15, the second and last day of a two-day, non-jury trial of Bridget B.'s case against John B. Their last names were not divulged in court papers.

    The award consists of 7.5 million dollars in general damages and 5 million dollars for past and future lost earnings.

    Treu declined to issue an award of punitive damages against John B., saying he did not have information on the man's assets in order to make the determination.

    Before the trial began, the plaintiff and defendant agreed to have the case decided by Treu instead of a jury.

    Attorneys for Bridget B. were not immediately available for comment.

    John B., who acted as his own lawyer, also could not be reached.

    However, outside the courtroom after the trial, he said he feared the worst when the judge issued his decision.

    An adverse ruling would not come as a surprise, he said, "but there's no money left, so let them try and collect."

    John B. said he had spent considerable money in past attorneys' fees when he was represented by attorneys.

    Treu had ruled in June that the plaintiff filed her case within the statute of limitations, in April 2002, rejecting her ex-husband 's argument that it was brought too late.

    The lawsuit alleged negligence, fraud and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

    The former couple married in July 2000 and divorced in October 2003.

    Both were diagnosed with HIV in October 2000, although John B. had tested negative in June and August of that year.

    Dr. Howard E. Pitchon testified on behalf of Bridget that that he examined medical records of both parties and believes John B. acquired HIV in July 2000 and infected his wife within a month while they were on their honeymoon in the South Pacific, when they were having unprotected sex for the first time.

    The state Supreme Court ruled in July 2006 that she could sue her former partner for allegedly giving her the virus that causes AIDS if he had reason to know at the time that he was infected. But the high court also set limits on how much information she could get about his past sexual partners.