Surgeon Jailed for Self-Inflicted Amputation in Sexual-Motivated Fraud Case

Neil Hopper, a 49-year-old former NHS vascular surgeon, received a 32-month prison sentence after admitting to insurance fraud and possession of extreme pornography. He deliberately froze his own legs using dry ice, in May 2019 causing irreversible tissue damage that required amputation and falsely attributed the loss to sepsis to claim nearly £467,000 in insurance payouts.

Court proceedings revealed that Hopper had long harbored a sexual interest in amputation. He exchanged approximately 1,500 messages with Marius Gustavson, the operator of the “Eunuch Maker” website, in which he discussed methods for self-amputation. He also purchased videos depicting genital removal and extreme body modification. Neil Hopper was exposed after investigation into Marius Gustavson revealed their message exchanges.

Hopper appeared on television and spoke publicly about his supposed battle with sepsis in Dec 2019. He became a media figure, appearing on BBC, ITV’s This Morning, featured in documentaries, and shortlisted by the European Space Agency as a candidate for a para-astronaut program.

Following his conviction, Hopper received not only prison time but also a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and proceedings began to recover funds obtained fraudulently. He was suspended from the medical register in December 2023 after professional restrictions were placed earlier that year.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust stated that clinical reviews, conducted by independent experts, found no evidence that Hopper’s professional conduct had compromised patient safety. Still, some former patients, especially those who underwent amputations, have raised concerns and contacted legal advisors to investigate whether their surgeries were necessary.

Neil Hopper’s defense cited a history of body dysphoria and gender identity issues. His lawyer described longstanding feelings of being born in the wrong body and the belief that his feet were an unwelcome part of his body.

(Rh/Eth/TL/MSM)