Surgeon ADMITS having legs amputated on purpose in £466,000 insurance fraud and owning extreme ‘Eunuch Maker’ porn
An NHS vascular surgeon who carried out hundreds of amputation operations has admitted cutting his legs off on purpose then lying about losing them to sepsis to claim a £466,000 insurance payout.
Neil Hopper, 49, pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation relating to claims made to insurance companies that his legs had been amputated due to illness rather than self-inflicted injury.
He also admitted three charges of possessing extreme pornographic images, relating to videos by a website called the EunuchMaker, which depicted genital mutilation.
Hopper, of St Erme, Truro, Cornwall, appeared before Truro Crown Court on Thursday to enter his guilty pleas.
The court heard Hopper had used dry ice to freeze his legs to the extent they were no longer viable, requiring amputation – which had long been an ambition of his and he had a sexual interest in.
Following the amputation, he made claims to the insurers which resulted in total payouts of £466,653.81.
He previously appeared on This Morning in 2020 where he claimed he developed sepsis after becoming unwell during a family camping trip in 2019.
The surgeon, who won a Brave Briton award, told the BBC in 2023: ‘My life is more interesting because of what’s happened to me.’
Charges state that between June 3 and July 20 in 2019, Hopper dishonestly made a false representation to insurers Aviva and Old Mutual Health, that his ‘legs had been amputated because of illness rather than self-inflicted injury’.
Neil Hopper, from Cornwall, pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud at Truro Crown Court by falsely claiming his legs had been amputated due to illness
The surgeon had previously appeared on breakfast TV to talk about losing his legs to sepsis
Hopper also gave an interview to the BBC in which he described returning to work after supposedly losing his legs to sepsis
Hopper is also accused of encouraging ‘Eunuch Maker’ Marius Gustavson (pictured) to amputate body parts
Charges state that between June 3 and July 20 in 2019, Hopper dishonestly made a false representation to insurers Aviva and Old Mutual Health, that his ‘legs had been amputated because of illness rather than self-inflicted injury’.
Hopper was in 2020 named one of the bravest people in Britain.
He received the Against All Odds title at the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020, in a virtual ceremony hosted by BBC1 TV Breakfast presenter Rachel Burden.
He has not worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2023.
The General Medical Council placed restrictions on his practice the following month, and he has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.
After Hopper was charged with five offences, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust – where Hopper had been employed for a decade – released a statement.
A spokesperson said: ‘The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.
‘Mr Hopper worked in at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023, following his initial arrest.’
Hopper was in 2020 named one of the bravest people in Britain
He received the Against All Odds title at the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020, in a virtual ceremony hosted by BBC1 TV Breakfast presenter Rachel Burden
Hopper has not worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2023
The surgeon, who won a Brave Briton award, said in a 2023 interveiew: ‘My life is more interesting because of what’s happened to me.’
During the court hearing on Thursday, Judge James Adkin, the honorary recorder of Truro, heard Hopper was identified following investigations into Marius Gustavson who ran the The EunuchMaker website.
Gustavson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years at the Old Bailey last year for leading an extreme body modification ring, which carried out male castration, penis removal and other procedures on people as young as 16.
The Norwegian national once cooked human testicles to eat in a salad, and also had his own penis removed with a kitchen knife, and froze his own leg so it was amputated.
The Old Bailey heard last year that extreme body modification is linked to a subculture where men become ‘nullos’, short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed.
Gustavson netted more than £300,000 between 2017 and 2021 after posting videos of various procedures on his Eunuch Maker website.
Former patients of Hopper – including some who underwent amputations – have contacted South West-based medical negligence firm Enable Law.
They say they are concerned about the treatment they received from Hopper, in light of the criminal charges brought against him.
Mike Bird, partner at Enable Law, said the case had caused ‘shock and grave concern’ among his former patients.
‘Some have had life-changing surgery and are now worried it was not really needed,’ Mr Bird said.
‘While we understand that RCHT have said that the charges do not relate to his professional conduct and there is apparently no evidence suggesting any risk to patients, this is such a serious situation that there must be a rigorous public investigation.
‘It is no wonder that patients of Mr Hopper want to know whether they received the right treatment from this surgeon in the light of these charges and his suspension.
‘The patients we are advising want answers and above all, want to know that the Trust is doing all it can to investigate and support them.’
The court heard Hopper had used dry ice to freeze his legs to the extent they were no longer viable, requiring amputation – which he had a sexual interest in.
He previously appeared on This Morning in 2020 where he claimed he developed sepsis after becoming unwell during a family camping trip in 2019
Following the amputation, he made claims to the insurers which resulted in total payouts of £466,653.81
Enable Law is also working with the Limbless Association, a charity which supports amputees.
Mr Bird stressed that for patients and their families, there had to be ‘a proper independent investigation, conducted openly and transparently’.
‘We want to work with the Trust to make sure there is proper scrutiny and accountability, and that patients are protected,’ he added.
‘We are also strongly recommending that the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust immediately puts in place psychological and medical support and works with Limbless Association experts to manage patient communication.’
