A surgeon from the NHS who willingly had his legs amputated for personal satisfaction has been sentenced to jail after admitting to two counts of fraud.
Neil Hopper, a vascular surgeon recognized as one of Britain’s most courageous NHS surgeons, garnered praise through appearances on both the BBC and ITV. He falsely claimed that he required leg amputations due to sudden illness while his family was away on a camping trip. In reality, the 49-year-old surgeon intentionally froze his own legs using dry ice while his family was absent.
After inflicting the self-harm, Hopper misled a friend who discovered him at home by stating that he was suffering from flu-like symptoms. Subsequently, he deceitfully obtained over £466,000 in insurance payouts, leading to his imprisonment for 32 months.
During the trial at Truro Crown Court, Hopper, an experienced amputation specialist, confessed to causing his injuries as part of a perverse sexual fantasy. He pleaded guilty to defrauding insurance companies by misrepresenting that his legs had been amputated due to illness rather than self-inflicted harm.
Additionally, he admitted to possessing extreme pornographic material, specifically videos from a website called EunuchMaker, depicting genital mutilation.
Appearing in court to enter his guilty pleas, Hopper faced charges of dishonestly misrepresenting to insurers Aviva and Old Mutual Health that his legs were amputated due to illness rather than self-inflicted harm. The court was informed that Hopper used dry ice to freeze his legs to the point of requiring amputation, a desire he had long harbored and had a sexual curiosity in.
Following concerns raised by a family friend, paramedics intervened and found Hopper in a bed at his residence before transferring him to hospital. Despite initially claiming flu-like symptoms, he underwent amputation procedures, ultimately resulting in insurance payouts exceeding £466,000.
The court proceedings also revealed Hopper’s connection to Marius Gustavson, the operator of the EunuchMaker website, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in extreme body modification activities. Gustavson’s website showcased various procedures, including castration and genital nullification.
Hopper’s association with Gustavson was highlighted through exchanges about lower leg amputations and the use of dry ice. Prosecutors indicated that Hopper’s desire to become an amputee was a long-standing obsession with a sexual aspect.
Since March 2023, Hopper has not been employed at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, and restrictions were imposed on his practice a month later. He has been on an interim suspension from the medical register since December 2023.
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust clarified that the charges against Hopper did not pertain to his professional conduct, and there was no evidence of risk to patients. Hopper worked at the trust for a decade before his suspension in March 2023.