Surgeon jailed after amputation of own legs

An NHS vascular surgeon who had his own legs removed has admitted two counts of insurance fraud and three of possessing extreme pornography.

Neil Hopper, 49, of Truro, Cornwall, carried out hundreds of amputation operations before having his own legs removed in 2019.

Truro Crown Court heard he lied to insurers by claiming that injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and not self-inflicted.

It heard that in May 2019 Hopper had below knee amputations after a "mysterious illness". In fact he had used ice and dry ice to freeze his own legs so they had to be removed, said prosecutor Nicholas Lee.

The court heard Hopper had a "sexual interest in amputation".

Hopper had both legs amputated after complaining that his feet were in pain.

He was treated for suspected sepsis before he was told by surgeons that he should have his legs amputated and he was operated on.

He did not tell the medics the real cause of his injuries, the court heard.

The fraudulent insurance claims from two firms totalled more than £466,000 the court heard.

Hopper had been tempted by "greed" said Mr Lee.

He had messaged a friend about the claims saying he should "milk it", the court heard.

More than £50,000 of insurance money was sent to his wife, £22,000 on a camper van, another £255,000 on building works and home improvements and a hot tub.

He "enjoyed" the interest from the media in his case, Mr Lee told the court.

"His motivations were a combination of obsession with removing parts of his own body and a sexual interest in doing so," he said.

"It seems to have been a long-standing ambition of his," he said.

After the amputations, he was back at work in just under six months with prosthetic legs.

He was arrested in March 2023 and has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.

Andrew Langdon, KC, said in mitigation, that the offences had been a "shock" to friends.

He said: "He [Hopper] has been committed to working to the service of others.

"The whole saga is very difficult to comprehend."

The extreme pornography offences were connected to videos of body mutilations that Hopper had purchased online and did not include children, the court heard.

Hopper was identified following investigations into Marius Gustavson who ran the EunuchMaker website.

Gustavson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years at the Old Bailey in 2024 for leading an extreme body modification ring.

Hopper had suffered body dysphoria since childhood and his feet were an "unwelcome extra" and a "persisting never-ending discomfort" to him, said Mr Langdon.

Hopper did not regret the operations, but "bitterly regrets" the "dishonesty" about their cause, he said.

After the operations, Hopper had been "totally overwhelmed by support from friends and family which made it even more difficult to tell them what had really happened".

Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, had been employed by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust from 2013 until he was arrested in March 2023.

After Hopper was charged, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 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."

Jason Abbot, 38, from Hayle, who was operated on by Hopper in November 2022 after painful arthritis in an ankle, said he had no concerns about his care.

"He was great, very supportive of the situation, [he gave] me loads of information about it and told me to have a really good think about it and I did."

He said he "felt shocked" that Hopper had been convicted.

"I never thought he would do anything like that."

Hopper also worked at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, Wales, for a period of training in general surgery in 2011, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has confirmed.

In an interview with the BBC in 2023 he also said he had worked in Swansea and Bangor.

The relevant health boards have been asked to confirm.